Varkala

Varkala, historically known as Balita is a major coastal municipality and a northern suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. In legends and myths related to Kerala, texts like the Kerala Mahatmyam describe the Varkala region as one of the sacred places of Kerala. Varkala is the only region in Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Indian Ocean. These Cenozoic sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature on the otherwise flat Kerala coast and are known among geologists as the Varkala Formation. The cliffs have been declared a national geological monument by the Geological Survey of India for their protection, maintenance, promotion, and the enhancement of geotourism. In 2015, the Ministry of Mines, the Government of India, and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared Varkala Cliffs a geo-heritage site.