Kerala’s backwater and houseboat capital — the “Venice of the East” and gateway to the Kuttanad backwaters.
Alappuzha (anglicised Alleppey) is Kerala’s backwater and houseboat capital — a low-lying coastal town laced with a grid of canals that earned it the nickname “Venice of the East”. Its draw is the labyrinth of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets where travellers cruise on traditional kettuvallam houseboats, fringed by coconut palms, paddy fields and villages. The town is the gateway to Kuttanad — the “rice bowl of Kerala” and one of the very few places on earth where farming is done below sea level. Around the canal core sit Mullackal market, the Finishing Point boat jetty, the seafront with its 1862 lighthouse and old pier, and, a little further out, the quiet Marari beach belt and the vast Vembanad lake.
Lighthouse on Alappuzha Bazar Post in Alleppey.
Attraction in Alleppey.
Temple on പഴവീട് - ഗാന്ധിവിലാസം റോഡ് in Alleppey.
Museum in Alleppey.
Church in Alleppey.
Museum in Alleppey.
Temple in Alleppey.
Church in Alleppey.
Church in Alleppey.
Beach in Alleppey.
Heritage site in Alleppey.
Nature in Alleppey.
Waterfront in Alleppey.
Attraction in Alleppey.
Church on Thondankulangara - Punnamada Rd in Alleppey.
Church in Alleppey.
Church in Alleppey.
Temple in Alleppey.
Heritage site in Alleppey.
Church in Alleppey.
Monument in Alleppey.
Memorial in Alleppey.
Temple in Alleppey.
Temple in Alleppey.
71 places, ranked by reviews →
21 places, ranked by reviews →
107 places, ranked by reviews →
204 places, ranked by reviews →
109 places, ranked by reviews →
36 places, ranked by reviews →
96 places, ranked by reviews →
Cruise the ~900 km labyrinth of canals, rivers and lakes aboard a traditional kettuvallam houseboat — the quintessential Alleppey experience, with Kerala meals cooked onboard. Cruises launch from the town jetties and Finishing Point.
A smaller, cheaper open boat that threads the in-town canals and narrow village waterways the big houseboats can’t reach — the best way to see the “Venice of the East” up close.
The town’s seafront, with an old sea-bridge pier and the red-and-white striped lighthouse commissioned in 1862 (Kerala’s first on the Arabian Sea coast), about 4 km from the centre. Reported visiting hours 3:00–4:30 PM; entry ₹20/₹50 — indicative, confirm locally.
India’s longest lake and Kerala’s largest, the setting for the snake-boat races. By boat you can reach Pathiramanal, a small island birdwatching paradise in the middle of the lake.
A tranquil, uncrowded coconut-fringed fishing-village beach ~11–15 km north of town, once named among National Geographic’s top “Hammock Beaches in the World” — the calm counterpoint to the busy backwaters.
Yes — “Alleppey” is the anglicised name of Alappuzha, the town and district in Kerala. The town is the backwater and houseboat hub; Alappuzha is also the surrounding district.
It is ~53–60 km, about 1.5–2 hours by road on NH66. Direct Ernakulam → Alappuzha trains take ~50 minutes and arrive in town, and KSRTC buses run from Kochi’s Vyttila Mobility Hub.
October to February — dry, mild and calm on the water. Avoid the heavy monsoon (June–September, August worst) unless you want the lush, low-season look.
A day cruise or a shorter shikara ride is plenty to experience the canals; an overnight kettuvallam adds sunset, dinner and dawn on the backwaters. Book a registered operator and confirm the route and inclusions first.
The famous snake-boat regatta is held on Punnamada Lake in August (often the second Saturday). The exact date shifts each year — confirm locally before planning around it.