Marari

Are you planning a trip but hoping to avoid crowded tourist hotspots? If offbeat and unconventional is what you’re going for, Marari Beach is just the spot for you. We offer a wide range of Marari tour packages, helping you explore the beauty of Marari Beach while indulging in different activities and enjoying just the kind of peaceful vacation and getaway you deserve and have been craving.

Located in the local fishing village of Mararikulam in Kerala’s Alleppey district, about 11 km from the city of Alleppey and 60 km from Cochin is Marari Beach. Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, this idyllic beach is a world of its own. While Munnar, Trivandrum, and Kochi are popular tourist destinations, Marari offers something unique and calming for travelers looking for hidden tourist spots.

If you’re searching for Marari tour packages for your family, you’re at the right place. It is mentioned on the National Geographic Survey’s list of top five hammock beaches worldwide and is a site worth exploring. Call us to learn more about our Marari tour packages, including the best places to visit in Marari and much more.

Since Kerala is a coastal region, the temperatures remain on the higher end throughout the year, with humidity in the air. Therefore, you can select a time or season based on the weather you would like to enjoy and your budget for your Marari tour.

The monsoon season lasts from June to October, and tourists are asked to avoid this period since the heavy rains make it tricky to engage in water sports. Driving around on wet and slippery roads isn’t prudent either. Some tourists choose this time to get access to more budget-friendly tour options and off-season prices. The rainy season at Marari Beach is also known as the ayurveda season because the weather conditions allow one to make the most of their ayurveda treatments.

The rains begin to subside during September and are the ideal time to visit Marari Beach, with the mountains and forests shining bright in their lush greenery. It is also around this time that the traditional Kerala festival of Onam is celebrated. So, if you wish to witness that spectacle and all the customs and traditions accompanying Onam, you must visit the state in September.

Winter is peak season in Marari Beach and lasts from October to February. The weather is more relaxed, making indulging in various sightseeing activities much more pleasant. However, the crowd is amplified during this period, and the prices are also higher. Overall, therefore, September to February is when tourists visit Marari Beach the most compared to the rest of the year.

One can reach Marari Beach by bus or train, keeping in mind that you might have to change a few modes of transportation before reaching your destination, depending on where you are traveling. The nearest airport from Marari Beach is the Cochin International Airport, and you can take a bus or train to reach the beach directly. You can also opt for a prepaid taxi that costs about Rs 2300 or hail a cab from outside the airport, as they are available throughout the day.

Although Marari has a small local train station of its own, one of the nearest major train stations is in Alleppey. Upon reaching Alleppey, get on the Ernakulam Junction (South) Line, which will help you reach the Mararikkulam Junction in around 20 minutes. If you’re traveling from Cochin International Airport, you can take the Kayankulam Junction Line to get to the beach in about an hour.

While you can easily take an autorickshaw from Alleppey to Marari Beach, there are also plenty of buses. By taking a bus from Alleppey Junction, you can directly reach your destination at Mararikkulam Junction.

Relaxing at the beach and absorbing the beauty of sunsets is the perfect way to spend a holiday, but if you’re looking for sightseeing choices, there are plenty of places to visit in and around Marari. Some of those places are as follows:

The Mararikulam Shiva Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. An ancient temple with unique architecture, this is the only temple in Kerala where both deities face each other. It was supposedly built by Vilwamangalam Swamiyar about 700 years ago.

The Dutch Palace, which popularly goes by the name of Mattancherry Palace, is a unique blend of Kerala’s unique architectural elements and colonial influences. Located in Mattancherry, Kochi, it was built by the Portuguese around 1545 CE as a gift to King Veera Kerala Verma, who belonged to the Kochi dynasty. The palace is also home to Pazhayannur Bhagavathy, the deity of the royal family. It is also called the Dutch Palace because of the modifications and renovations undertaken by the Dutch.

Besides spacious halls and a serene courtyard, this palace is adorned with multiple murals associated with Mahabharata and Ramayana and paintings dedicated to Guruvayur Krishna. These mural paintings sprawl over an area of 300 sq. km. Tourists can also find depictions of Kalidasa’s works in the architecture of the Dutch Palace.

As you walk across the palace, you see glimpses of the Royal family and their everyday life through daggers, axes, sheathed swords, and life-size portraits of the Kings of Cochin dating back to 1864. In addition to portraits and other royal artifacts, one can also come across royal caps, coins issued by the royal family, and plans created by the Dutch regarding Cochin. The palace is open to tourists from 10 am to 5 pm except for Fridays.

Situated in Kochi, the St. Francis Church in Kerala is revered as the oldest European church in the country. Vasco Da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, was buried at this spot in 1524. Although his remains were taken to Portugal later on, his tombstone is still present within the church, attracting numerous tourists from around the world. A war memorial was later constructed in front of the church to honor the Kochi soldiers who died during the First World War.

Dating as far back as the 16th century, this monument forms a crucial part of Kerala’s history, symbolizing European colonization faced by the region back in the day. The architecture of St. Francis Church is based on the old European style and contains very few decorative segments. The church is open for visitors every day of the week from 7 am to 6:30 pm from Monday to Saturday and from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm on Sundays. The church is located in the heart of Fort Kochi and is quite easily accessible for locals and tourists alike.

Marari Beach offers numerous options for accommodation that tourists can choose from depending on the ambiance they seek and their budget. While some of the accommodations are near the beach, others are a bit more removed. If you desire more solitude, move a little north or south for some quiet time. Locals and tourists alike can be seen gathering at the beach.

A couple of the options in terms of staying at Marari Beach include:

If you have the budget for it and wish to splurge on luxury accommodations, Marari Beach has several luxury resorts and villas you can opt. From boutique villas and eco-friendly atmospheres to places that have yoga classes and ayurveda treatments, you will be spoilt for choices.

If you’re aiming for something slightly less expensive, then Marari Beach also has several mid-range villas and resorts for this purpose. Tourists can expect to pay Rs 5000 per night for these accommodations.

For those hunting for choices that are easier on the pocket, homestays come to the rescue. Although most of these are located slightly away from the beach, you can also find some of them closer to the waters.

Are you looking for affordable Marari tour packages? Reach out to us to receive all the details regarding the itineraries and travel packages.