7 Underrated Honeymoon Destinations in Kerala for Couples
Kerala gets a lot of love and rightly so. But if your idea of the perfect honeymoon involves escaping the selfie crowds at Alleppey or the guided-tour rush at Munnar, you're not alone. The state has a quieter, more intimate side that most Kerala honeymoon packages don't feature. These are places where the pace slows right down, the scenery stays just as stunning, and you genuinely feel like you've discovered something on your own.
Here are seven of those places.
1. Varkala
Most people who visit Varkala are backpackers. Which means couples who find their way here tend to have it rather good — dramatic laterite cliffs, an almost theatrical view of the Arabian Sea, and a long strip of laid-back restaurants where no one's rushing you to finish your coffee. The Papanasam Beach below the cliffs is clean and relatively uncrowded by Kerala standards. The vibe is unhurried. It's the kind of place where you end up spending three days when you'd only planned for one.
2. Bekal
Up in Kasaragod, near the Karnataka border, Bekal is the sort of destination that makes you wonder why it isn't more famous. Bekal Fort — one of the largest in Kerala — sits right at the edge of the sea, with a swimming pool-shaped observation deck that's become a quiet icon. The beaches here are wide, clean, and genuinely peaceful. A handful of good resorts sit directly on the backwaters. If you're putting together Kerala tour packages that reach beyond the usual circuit, Bekal is one of the stronger cases for extending your trip north.
3. Wayanad
Wayanad tends to get lumped in with hill station tourism, but for couples it offers something a little different — the kind of green that feels ancient and uninterrupted. Edakkal Caves, Chembra Peak, and the Banasura Sagar Dam are all worth doing, but honestly, some of the best moments here are simply sitting on a resort balcony somewhere in Kalpetta with nothing particular on the agenda. It's cooler than much of Kerala, the coffee estates lend the air a particular quality, and you're unlikely to run into the crowds that tend to gather in Munnar during peak season.
4. Kumarakom
Kumarakom sits on Vembanad Lake — Kerala's largest lake — and is technically part of the backwater circuit. But where Alleppey leans into houseboat tourism at scale, Kumarakom stays quieter. The bird sanctuary here draws serious birders, which means the people walking around it tend to value silence.
A night or two on a private houseboat on Vembanad, with dinner served on board and no particular schedule, is about as romantic as Kerala gets. The sunsets over the lake have a way of making everything feel slightly cinematic.
5. Athirappilly
Most couples who include Athirappilly in their itinerary do so because someone told them the waterfalls are worth seeing. They are — the falls are the largest in Kerala, and during the monsoon they're genuinely spectacular. But what surprises people is the forest around them. The Vazhachal forest stretch, which runs adjacent to the falls, is one of the last remaining lowland rainforests in the Western Ghats. It's home to hornbills, elephants, and a general sense of wildness that feels increasingly rare. If you're the sort of couple that finds nature more romantic than a poolside bar, this one's worth a detour.
6. Kovalam (Beyond the Main Beach)
Kovalam is well-known enough that calling it underrated might raise an eyebrow. But the Lighthouse Beach and Hawa Beach that draw most visitors are only part of the picture. A short walk or ride away, you'll find smaller coves — Samudra Beach in particular — that are noticeably calmer and more suited to the sort of afternoon where you're not really doing anything. The town has good seafood, a relaxed evening vibe, and enough to keep you occupied without feeling like a theme park. The lighthouse is worth climbing for the view alone.
7. Silent Valley (Palakkad)
This one requires a bit more planning, which is partly why it's off most standard Kerala honeymoon packages. Silent Valley National Park in Palakkad is one of India's last undisturbed tropical rainforests. Entry requires prior permission from the Forest Department, and visitor numbers are deliberately kept low. Which is, of course, exactly the point. If you can manage the logistics, a morning trek through Silent Valley, accompanied by a forest guide, watching for lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs in the canopy is the sort of experience that stays with you well past the honeymoon itself. It's not for everyone. But for couples who travel to feel something rather than just to see something, it's remarkable.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Kerala rewards slow travel. The places above all share one quality — they're better when you're not in a hurry. Resist the urge to pack too much into a single trip. The state also has a well-developed homestay culture, particularly in the hill districts and coastal towns. Staying with a local family, eating what they eat, and hearing their version of the place is often more memorable than any resort experience. When you're browsing Kerala tour packages, it's worth asking specifically about homestay options alongside the hotels.
Finally, the monsoon months (June to August) are underrated for honeymoons here. Yes, it rains. Heavily, sometimes. But the landscape is at its greenest, the waterfalls are at full strength, the crowds thin out considerably, and the rates drop. If you don't mind getting a little wet, it's arguably the best time to go. Kerala has always been more than its highlight reel. These seven destinations are the proof.