Photo: Kingstonberyl · CC BY-SA 3.0

West Coast · Beach

Muttom Beach

முட்டம் கடற்கரை

Dark rocks, a British-era lighthouse and working fishing boats

Move across the photo, or drag it on a phone, to look around.

You arrive

You come down through the fishing village of Muttom and the sea appears between rocks. This coast is not smooth. Big boulders flank the beach and the sand is streaked black and white. High above, a lighthouse from the British period stands on ground 110 feet over the sea. Boats and fishing life go on around you, because this is first a village and only then a viewpoint. The wind arrives before you reach the edge.

Muttom fishing village · Photo: ACKSEN · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Between the rocks

You walk onto the sand and look at it closely, the dark grains mixed with the pale. The rocks on either side break up the shore, with caves and hollows that the sea has worked at for a long time. Keep well back from the wet rock, since waves on this coast can surprise you. It is better to enjoy the place from solid ground.

Muttom Beach · Photo: Infocaster at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

02 / 03

Up to the lighthouse

You climb to the lighthouse, built while India was still part of the British Empire. From this height, 110 feet above the water, the coast opens in both directions, and you can see how hard the rocks have been hit over the years. Off to one side lies the Jeppiaar Fishing Harbour, reported to be the largest private harbour in the state.

Muttom Beach · Photo: Balaji191091 · CC BY-SA 3.0

03 / 03

Sunset

You stay on for the evening. Muttom is known for one of the best sunsets in the district, and the rocks give it a foreground that a flat beach cannot. As the light goes orange the boulders turn black and the water goes dull and shining. You stand with the wind on your face, and the village carries on with its work behind you.

Being here

You see

Black and pale sand, dark boulders and a lighthouse above the shore.

You hear

Waves breaking on rock and the sounds of a working fishing village.

You smell

Salt, fish and drying nets.

You feel

Strong sea wind and coarse wet sand.

Look around

The story

Muttom is a fishing village in Kanyakumari district whose beach is known for its rocks and caves. Most people here make their living from the sea. A lighthouse built during British rule stands near the water at 110 feet above sea level, and the Jeppiaar Fishing Harbour, described as the largest private harbour in the state, is also located here. Trawell notes the black and white sand and the large rocks that flank the beach. Muttom is about 16 km from Nagercoil and between 31 and 34 km from Kanyakumari, depending on the source.

Sources: Wikipedia: Muttom, Kanyakumari · Kanniyakumari district: Tourist Spots · Trawell: Kanyakumari places

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Lemur Beach, GanapathipuramVerified photograph to be added

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