Kovalam
Kovalam is a region in the city of Trivandrum, around 13 km southwest of the city center, whose beaches are a tourist destination. Etymology. Kovalam means "coconut grove," after the coconut trees which are common there. History. Kovalam first received attention when the Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore constructed her beach resort, Halcyon Castle, here towards the end of the 1920s. Thereafter the place was brought to the public eye by her nephew the Maharaja of Travancore. The European guests of the then Travancore kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the  1930s. In the early 1970s many hippies came on their way to Ceylon in the Hippie Trail, beginning the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into a significant tourist destination. Geography. Beaches. Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline, the three together form the crescent of the Kovalam beach. Detour past Kovalam junction to land on Samudra Beach which is to the north of Ashoka Beach. One has the option to walk along the sea-wall too, where the sea can be sighted above the rocks. Shallow waters stretching for hundreds of  metres are ideal for swimming. The beaches have steep palm covered headlands and are lined with shops that offer a variety of goods and services. Tourist facilities. There are a large number of beach resorts in and around Kovalam. The sea port of Vizhinjam is about 3 km away and famous for its special varieties of fish, old Hindu temples, churches and a mosque. The Proposed International Trans shipment Terminal at Vizhinjam is also close to Kovalam. Kovalam was among the most prominent tourist spots in India during the hippy era. It still has a high status among tourists, who  arrive mostly from Europe and Israel. Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several Ayurvedic salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists. Transport. The nearest train station is Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station, about away. The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport, about away. Politics. Kovalam assembly constituency is part of Trivandrum (Lok Sabha constituency). In 2016 Kerala Assembly elections, M Vincent of the Indian National Congress defeated incumbent Jameela Prakasham by over 2,500 votes. See also. A few other beaches in Kerala