A backwater cruise is why most people come to Alappuzha, but once you’ve done the houseboat there’s plenty more within a short drive: a calm fishing-village beach, temples with deep traditions, the extraordinary below-sea-level farmland of Kuttanad, and one of Kerala’s classic boat journeys. Here’s what to pair with your backwater time.
Marari beach
Just 11 km north of town, Marari (Mararikulam) is the perfect decompression after the backwaters — a long, calm fishing-village beach for swimming, cycling through the coconut groves and doing very little. It’s the natural coastal counterpoint to a canal cruise.
Ambalappuzha and Champakulam
South of Alleppey, the Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna temple is famous for its sweet milk payasam and its links to Kerala’s temple traditions; nearby Champakulam, on the Pamba, holds one of the oldest churches in the region and hosts the season’s oldest snake-boat race. Both make a rewarding temple-and-river half-day.
Kuttanad
Around Alleppey spreads Kuttanad, the “rice bowl” where farmers grow paddy on land below sea level, protected by bunds — a landscape found in very few places on earth. Driving or cruising through its dead-flat green fields and canals, past areas like the Kainakary polders, is a gentle window into a unique way of life.
The Kollam backwater ferry
For a bigger day out, the state-run tourist ferry between Alleppey and Kollam crosses a long stretch of open backwater over about eight hours — a slow, affordable and scenic alternative to a houseboat, running mainly in the season from around December to March.
- Pair a houseboat or canoe cruise with Marari beach (11 km) to balance movement with rest.
- The Kollam–Alleppey ferry is seasonal (roughly December–March) — check the DTPC schedule.
- Temples like Ambalappuzha are active places of worship — dress modestly and follow local customs.
- Book boats and cruises directly with operators or the DTPC rather than through commission agents.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see near Alleppey besides the backwaters?
Marari beach (11 km north), the Ambalappuzha and Champakulam temples to the south, the below-sea-level farmland of Kuttanad, and the long backwater ferry to Kollam — all within easy reach of a backwater trip.
How far is Marari beach from Alleppey?
About 11 km north of Alappuzha town — an easy auto or taxi ride, and the ideal calm-beach counterpoint to a backwater cruise.
Is the Alleppey to Kollam ferry worth it?
Yes, if you have the time — it’s a roughly eight-hour cruise across long stretches of open backwater, far cheaper than a houseboat and very scenic. It runs mainly in the season, about December to March.