ATHIRAPALLY FALLS TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO ATHIRAPALLY
Waterfall
About Athirapally Waterfalls
#8 of 24 Places to visit in Kerala | #52 of 100 Places to visit in India
Ideal Trip Duration: Half Day to Full Day
Nearest City to Athirapally Waterfalls: Kochi (70 Kms)
Best Time to Visit Athirapally Waterfalls: September to January
Peak Season: October to December
At a distance of 32 km from Chalakudy, 59 km from Thrissur, 73 km from Kochi, 100 km from Munnar, 122 km from Kottayam, 170 km from Kozhikode, 174 km from Coimbatore & 269 km from Trivandrum, Athirapally Waterfall is a scenic waterfall situated at the entrance of Sholayar hill range in the Thrissur district. It is one of the best waterfalls in India, and among the most famous tourist places in Kerala.
Formed over the Chalakudy River, Athirapally is the biggest waterfall in Kerala. This waterfall drops down from a height of 80 feet through several parallel streams offering a great scenic beauty. In the monsoon season, the water gets strength and all the streams join together and appear like Niagara Falls. This is the biggest waterfalls in Kerala and is well-known for its scenic beauty. It is one of the popular places to visit near Kochi.
One can reach the top of the waterfall with about 15 minutes walk from the falls entrance. It offers spectacular views of the Sholayar hills and a unique view of the waterfalls from this spot. About 10-15 minutes trek down from the top of the falls will take you to the bottom of the falls where the greatest beauty of the waterfalls can be experienced. Swimming is possible in the stream at bottom of the falls as part of Athirapally tour packages.
Down from the waterfall, the stream continues as Chalakudy River which ultimately drains into the Arabian Sea. This river is a biodiversity hotspot with 85 species of freshwater fish living in it. The Athirapally Forest is also the natural habitat of different species like the great hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, Indian grey hornbill, Asiatic elephant, tiger, leopard, bison, sambar, and lion-tailed macaque.
The Vazhachal Waterfalls, Charpa Falls, Anakkayam, Sholayar Dam, Valparai, and Malayattur Wildlife Sanctuary are other prominent places to visit in Athirapally. It also offers adventure activities like river rafting, trekking, etc.
Chalakudy (32 km) is the nearest junction to Athirapally and it is connected by bus with Thrissur, Kochi, and Palakkad. One can take public/private vehicles from Chalakudy to reach Athirapally. Cochin Airport is the nearest airport to Athirapally which is 40 km away. Kochi and Thrissur are two major railway junctions nearby. The nearest railway station is Chalakudy Railway Station situated 32 km from Athirapally.
Munnar is about 100 km from Athirapally. If you are traveling from Kochi to Munnar, you can visit Athirapally along with Munnar packages if you can dedicate 3 extra hours.
Athirapally falls never dries out and can be visited anytime during the year. Though the waterfall appears in its full glory during monsoons, heavy rains can cause great inconvenience. So, the best time to visit is from September to January. It usually takes 2-3 hours to explore Athirappally falls.
Timings: 8 AM to 5 PM
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