Athirappilly (Vazhachal)
A 24 m cascade and four hornbill species on the Chalakudy River
An Athirappilly waterfalls trip in Thrissur district pairs the roughly 24 m main fall with Vazhachal Falls, Sholayar forest and four hornbill species.
Overview
Kerala has no bigger waterfall: Athirappilly drops about 24 m and spreads close to 100 m wide when the rains are on. The falls are in Thrissur district, where the Chalakudy, a river born in the Western Ghats, leaves the Sholayar forests for the plains. It suits day visitors from Thrissur or Kochi and bird watchers, and June to September shows the water at full strength.
Forest paths lead down toward the base of the main fall. The whole area falls inside the Athirappilly-Vazhachal forest range and ecotourism zone, so the visit is as much a forest outing as a waterfall stop. The surroundings count as much as the cascade. This is Athirappilly-Vazhachal forest, wet tropical country with tall trees and rocky cliffs, and the setting has appeared in many Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films since 1973.
Vazhachal Falls lies about 5 km from the Athirappilly entrance, at the edge of the Sholayar ranges, close to the Vazhachal Forest Division. It is a different kind of sight. Rather than dropping in a single curtain, the water slides along a rocky bed, and you watch from stone benches. The rocks there are very slippery, so stay on the permitted viewing areas and never step into the stream.
Nature interest runs beyond the water. Four endangered hornbill species share these forests, and nowhere else in the Western Ghats do all four overlap, which is why ornithologists and birders come. Anyone who wants to look for birds rather than just the water should plan extra time under the trees. Thumboormuzhi Dam is another sight close by.
Because this is forest land, access conditions are set by the forest authorities and can change in the heaviest rain, so confirm that the falls are open before you leave. Entry rules, timings and fees are managed locally and are not repeated here.
Reaching the area takes some planning. The falls are about 30 km from Chalakudy railway station, about 53 to 55 km from Cochin International Airport and 59 to 63 km from Thrissur. By road from Kochi, allow around two and a half hours. Half a day is enough for the two cascades alone.
Known for
About 24 m high and about 100 m wide in the monsoon
Quick facts
Kerala's south-west monsoon, heaviest from June to August, gives the falls their strongest flow.
Cochin International Airport, about 53 to 55 km
Chalakudy Railway Station, about 30 km
About 2.5 hours by road from Kochi, 59 to 63 km from Thrissur and about 30 km from Chalakudy town.
Keep to the marked viewing areas at Vazhachal, where the rocks are described as dangerously slippery
Check with the forest department that the falls and viewing paths are open before travelling in heavy monsoon weeks
Set aside extra time under the trees if birds interest you, as the area is known for four hornbill species
Plan a trip to Athirappilly (Vazhachal)
Tell us your dates and we will shape the route.