The four day trips worth taking from Varkala are Kollam and Ashtamudi Lake (about 40 km north), Jatayu Earth's Center (about 28 km inland), Trivandrum (about 50 km south) and Poovar (about 70 km south). All are doable in a day on two wheels; only the first two are comfortable on a scooter.
These are the trips beyond the local coast. If you're after shorter runs — Kappil, Anchuthengu, Ponnumthuruthu, all inside 13 km — those are in five rides worth taking from Varkala. This is the wider radius.
Kollam and Ashtamudi Lake — about 40 km north
An hour and a bit each way, and the most rewarding of the four if you like water. Kollam sits on Ashtamudi Lake, the southern end of the Kerala backwater system, and it's where you go if you want a backwater trip without committing to Alleppey.
Houseboat and ferry options run from here, including the long public ferry north — check timings the day before rather than turning up hopeful. Thangassery lighthouse and the old colonial quarter are worth an hour if boats aren't your thing.
The ride is straightforward coastal-ish road. Fine on a scooter.
How far is Jatayu Earth's Center from Varkala?
About 28 km inland, 45 minutes to an hour. It's the giant Jatayu sculpture built into a hillside at Chadayamangalam, plus a cable car and a set of adventure activities.
It's the closest of these trips and the one where riding yourself makes the most difference, because the queue for the cable car is unpredictable and you'll want to leave on your own terms. We've written it up in detail — the ride, the timings and whether to bother with a taxi — in Jatayu Earth's Center from Varkala.
Is Trivandrum worth a day trip from Varkala?
Yes, if you want a city day rather than another beach. It's about 50 km south, roughly an hour and a half, and it's a proper capital — the Padmanabhaswamy temple, the palace, the museums and zoo complex, and shopping that Varkala simply doesn't have.
Two honest caveats. The traffic on the way in is a significant step up from anything around Varkala, so this is not a first-day ride. And the temple has a strict dress code and restricts entry to Hindus in parts, so read up before you go rather than arriving and finding out.
If you're not confident in city traffic, take the train instead — it's frequent and cheap from Varkala station, and there's no shame in it.
Poovar and the southern backwaters — about 70 km
The longest of the four and the one to think hardest about. Poovar sits where the river meets the sea south of Trivandrum, with an estuary, a golden-sand spit and boat trips through the mangroves.
Seventy kilometres each way means 140 km in a day, on a route that takes you through Trivandrum's traffic in both directions. That's a long day on a small scooter and a reasonable one on a geared bike. If you want to do it properly, consider staying overnight instead of riding back tired in the dark — and don't ride those roads after dark if you can avoid it.
Which of these can you do on a scooter?
Kollam and Jatayu, comfortably. Trivandrum, yes if you're confident in traffic. Poovar, only if you're experienced and starting early — it's the one where a geared bike genuinely earns its keep, for the reasons in scooter or motorcycle in Varkala.
Tell us what you're planning when you book. It changes what we'd put you on, and it's a two-second conversation that saves an uncomfortable day.
How much distance does a day's rental allow?
Every vehicle comes with a daily kilometre allowance and a per-kilometre charge beyond it, both listed against each vehicle on the pricing page.
Kollam and Jatayu return trips sit inside a normal day's allowance. Trivandrum is close to it. Poovar will go past it, so factor the extra-kilometre charge into the cost of that day rather than being surprised at drop-off. Fuel is on you for all of them.
Practical notes for any of these
- Leave early. Kerala traffic builds through the morning and the light goes quickly at the other end.
- Fuel up in Varkala. Pumps are never where you want them.
- Carry your licence and ID on you — see what documents you need.
- Don't plan to be riding unfamiliar road after dark. It's the single biggest avoidable risk here.
Pick something with the legs for it, and we'll have it at your stay in the morning.