Kerala, India: Towns to Explore on Foot

Kerala is a narrow state in southern India, set between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats. Its coast, inland waters, spice-trade history, forests and distinct Malayali culture make it one of India’s most varied regions to explore. Neywo has free audio guides for 3 cities in Kerala, with 99 narrated places in total and 3 walking tours.

Things to do in Kerala

Kerala is best understood through the places, landscapes and traditions that connect its coast with the mountains. A journey through the state can combine historic port cities, tea country and protected forest.

Explore Kochi and Kerala’s maritime history

Kochi is one of the most important places to begin exploring Kerala’s long relationship with the sea. The region was shaped by maritime commerce and the spice trade for thousands of years, and Arab traders once held a monopoly over the Indian Ocean spice trade. Portuguese traders later arrived in pursuit of the same spices, beginning European colonisation in India.

The city’s narrated places include St. Francis Church, Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue and Bolgatty Palace. Together, they reflect the layers of religious, royal and international history that developed around Kerala’s trading coast. You can continue with the Kochi city guide for the places covered by Neywo.

Kerala’s wider history reaches back to the Chera dynasty, the first major kingdom in the region. The Cheras rose through maritime commerce while facing pressure from the neighbouring Chola and Pandya dynasties. The state’s name also carries this older connection: an Ashokan rock inscription mentions Keralaputra, meaning “son of the Cheras”. One explanation links Kerala to chera and alam, or “the land of the Cheras”.

See the tea country around Munnar

The landscape changes inland, where the Western Ghats rise beyond Kerala’s coastal plains and waterways. Munnar is associated with this mountain setting and with the region’s tea heritage. Its narrated places include the KDHP Tea Museum, the Western Ghats, Anamudi and Munnar itself.

The Western Ghats are especially important for Kerala’s biodiversity. Thick forest once covered much of the state, and the region contains remarkable plant diversity, including plants found only in Kerala, hundreds with medicinal uses and others considered threatened. The mountains are therefore more than a scenic backdrop: they are one of the defining natural environments of the state.

Discover the area through the Munnar guide.

Discover Thekkady and the Periyar landscape

Thekkady offers another way to experience Kerala’s inland environment. Neywo covers Periyar National Park and the Periyar River, as well as Zion Lutheran Church Dymock, Our Lady of Good Health Church and Pattumala. The combination shows how the region brings together forest, water and local religious heritage.

Periyar National Park belongs to the wider landscape of the Western Ghats, where Kerala’s forests support a rich variety of plant life. The Periyar River is part of the state’s broader network of inland waters, which are closely connected to everyday life, fishing and the movement of people and goods.

The Thekkady city guide covers the narrated places available in this area.

Experience Kerala’s water, rain and coast

Kerala’s physical character comes from the contrast between sea and mountain. Its coast runs for about 590 kilometres, while the Western Ghats rise inland. Between them are coastal plains and inland waters, creating a densely settled region where water is a constant presence.

The climate is humid, tropical and maritime. Seasonal rains arrive with both the southwest summer monsoon and the northeast winter monsoon. This rhythm shapes the landscape and everyday life across the state. Fishing remains important along the coast and across the inland waters, while the sea and historic waterways helped make Kerala a major centre of commerce.

Learn about Malayalam culture and local traditions

Malayalam is Kerala’s most widely spoken language and an official language alongside English. It is also one of India’s Classical languages. The state’s culture is composite and cosmopolitan, shaped by Aryan and Dravidian traditions as well as influences from elsewhere in India and abroad.

Religious life is diverse, with Hindus, Muslims and Christians forming significant communities across the state. Many temples hold festivals on particular days of the year. Kerala is also known for its performance arts, Malayalam cinema and a tradition of matrilineal inheritance in which the mother is the head of the household.

Kalaripayattu remains one of the state’s enduring traditions. It is practised as Kerala’s indigenous martial sport, while boat racing—especially races involving snake boats—continues to be an important part of local culture. Older games and sports have largely faded from daily life or survive mainly as festival performances.

Understand Kerala’s modern identity

Kerala’s story is not only historical. The state is often noted for social development above the Indian average and has been described as one of India’s most egalitarian states. Social welfare policies, land reforms and high human development indicators have all shaped its modern identity. Kerala is also a pioneer in implementing universal health care, while modern education has roots in earlier mass education efforts.

Its economy combines services with traditional work. Coir, handlooms and handicrafts employ around one million people, and Kerala supplies 60 percent of the world’s white coir fibre. Black pepper and natural rubber also make significant contributions to national output.

Migration is another important part of modern Kerala. During the Gulf Boom, many Malayalis emigrated to Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Remittances from this expatriate population remain an important support for the state’s economy, linking local communities with destinations far beyond India.

Explore Kerala with Neywo’s free audio guide

Neywo offers free audio guides for 3 cities in Kerala: Kochi, Munnar and Thekkady. Across them, you can discover 99 narrated places through 3 walking tours. Narration is available in 11 languages.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Download Neywo and explore Kerala by moving from its historic trading coast to the forests, rivers and mountain landscapes of the Western Ghats.