Kollam
An old spice port on the Ashtamudi estuary
A Kollam tour circles the eight-armed Ashtamudi wetland, a Ramsar site, with Thangassery's 1902 lighthouse, Munroe Island and Kollam Beach nearby.
Overview
Kollam, known as Quilon in older records, is a port city and district of southern Kerala where the Ashtamudi estuary reaches the Arabian Sea. It suits travellers who want calm backwater scenery with a trading-town past, and October, November, February and March are the milder months to come.
Ashtamudi means "eight arms", after the branches of a wetland that covers 6,140 hectares and has been a Ramsar site since 19 August 2002. It is the second-largest wetland in Kerala, and a cruise of about 61 km links Kollam with Alappuzha along its length. Munroe Island, a cluster of eight small islands, lies roughly 27 km from the city. Fishermen on the lake work Chinese-style nets, and clams make up most of the catch.
The old port still shows on land. Thangassery, about 5 km from the centre, has a lighthouse that went into service on 1 March 1902, stands 135 ft high and has a 200-step spiral stair, as well as remains of Portuguese, Dutch and British buildings. Kollam Beach lies about 2 km from the city centre, and the quieter Thirumullavaram Beach is where devotees perform rites during particular lunar periods. Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta are among the travellers who wrote of its trade, and the Malayalam calendar, the Kollavarsham, was established here.
Cashew is the local trade. Kollam is called the cashew capital of the world, and the processing industry is more than a century old. For something off the water, the Police Museum holds historic police weapons and a martyrs' gallery, and Jatayu Earth's Centre at Chadayamangalam has a bird sculpture of 200 ft on a hilltop. Oachira, an idol-free temple town on the Alappuzha border, is a separate stop, and Thenmala's forest trails have their own page.
For arrival, Thiruvananthapuram airport is about 51 to 56 km away and Kollam Junction is the main railway station. Cochin International Airport is farther, at about 129 km. The cruise to Alappuzha starts here, so the two towns pair well on one route.
Known for
Eight arms, 6,140 hectares and a Ramsar site since 2002
Happening soon
Updated Oct 3, 2026Kollam Pooram
festivalUsually in April, around the day after Vishu. The Kerala Tourism page gives no year, and no 2027 notice was found.
A parade of decorated elephants and parasols at Asramam Maidan that closes a ten-day festival of the Asramam Sree Krishna Swamy Temple.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesOachirakali
culturalUsually in June. The 2026 listing was 15 to 16 June. No 2027 notice found.
Martial-arts practitioners stage mock fights in muddy water at the Oachira Parabrahma temple, a yearly festival held in June.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesQuick facts
Warm and humid on the coast, with mean temperatures of about 30 to 31 C and annual rain of roughly 2,430 mm.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV), about 51 to 56 km. Cochin International Airport is about 129 km.
Kollam Junction (QLN), in the city; Eravipuram (IRP) is the other station
Regular buses reach Kollam from other major cities, and the main terminus is Kollam City Junction.
Reserve a full day for the Kollam to Alappuzha cruise, which covers about 61 km of lake
Check the lighthouse's visiting hours before you go; the page seen listed them but no official notice was checked
Oachira's temple has no idol and no covered shrine, so go for that rather than a conventional temple visit
Packages that visit Kollam
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5D / 4NAshtamudi to Vembanad Backwater Cruise
A Kollam to Alleppey backwater cruise, then a houseboat day and Kumarakom's birds: five private days across Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes in Kerala.
Kollam → Alleppey (Alappuzha) → KumarakomBackwaters & HouseboatsPlan a trip to Kollam
Tell us your dates and we will shape the route.