Kovalam, India

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Varkala, 47 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: TRV (TRV), 11 km.

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About Kovalam

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (250°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (70°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Varkala, 47 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: TRV (TRV), 11 km.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 27 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to TRV, changing at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
See flights ORD → TRV · Skyscanner from about £790 returnAd
Getting there. 30 min from the airport to Kovalam.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Varkala, 47 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: TRV (TRV), 11 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Kovalam · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Kovalam · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Kovalam on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

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Forecast

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Kovalam, each day
Day	Score for experts	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	18, too small	4 ft8 shollow	155kJ	wind from the north, 4 knots	30°C
Mon 19Oct	24, too small	4 ft9 shollow	261kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots	29°C
Tue 20Oct	25, too small	4 ft10 shollow	363kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 6 knots	28°C
Wed 21Oct	30, too small	4 ft10 shollow	318kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots	27°C
Thu 22Oct	19, too small	4 ft9 shollow	197kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots	27°C
Fri 23Oct	15, too small	3 ft8 shollow	115kJ	wind from the south-south-east, 3 knots	28°C
Sat 24Oct	20, too small	3 ft13 shollow	279kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots	28°C
Sun 25Oct	19, too small	3 ft11 shollow	220kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 3 knots	27°C
Mon 26Oct	16, too small	3 ft10 shollow	198kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots	26°C
Tue 27Oct	15, too small	3 ft8 shollow	100kJ	wind from the south, 4 knots	27°C
Wed 28Oct	0, poor	–	–	–	–

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Fly ORD to TRV, changing at DXB, then 30 min by road. About 27h door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Wed 21 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Thu 22 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
Fri 23 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Sat 24 Oct
Rest day
Too small: 3 ft at best.
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Fly ORD to TRV, changing at DXB, then 30 min by road. About 27h door to door

Rough cost

About £1,065–£2,130 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
What	How we worked it out	Each
Flights	return ORD to TRV, estimated from distance and season, changing at DXB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag	£790–£1,635
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Taxi	airport and back, shared	£20–£35
Food	7 days eating out	£155–£290
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£65–£105
Total		£1,065–£2,130

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

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Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

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