Alleppey Lighthouse

The Alappuzha Lighthouse is located near the Sea Bridge and at the distance of 4 km from the Alappuzha town in Kerala, there resides a 150 year old towering Alappuzha Lighthouse. Built in the year 1862, it was one of the fussiest ports and trade centre of Kerala during that time. It is one of the oldest lighthouses on the south-west coast of India. The lighthouse remains open from 3 pm to 5 pm every day. An admission fee of 20 rupees for Indian citizens and 50 rupees for foreigners. Inside the lighthouse, there around 105 steep stairs to climb(to reach the top of lighthouse). Bit of a struggle to get access to the top of the lighthouse. Good ambience. Well maintained lighthouse. Small museum on site where you can look at some old lighthouse lenses. Museum will help to understand the history of lighthouse. There is beautiful garden near lighthouse.

Time stands still here! Built by the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom to facilitate trade in the region the Alleppey lighthouse continues to fascinate and awe travellers who pass by. The almost 100 feet structure has a teak spiral staircase and gifts you a bite of colonial architecture as you climb up. The view from this tower is breathtaking and beautiful.

We visited the lighthouse around 16:30 in the evening. It’s 50 INR for foreigners to visit. You get access to the top of the lighthouse, wee garden and the museum with some lighthouse lights of yesterday. It’s all very clean and you are asked to remove your shoes for both the museum and the lighthouse. Wooden narrow stairs lead all the way up with no passing points so it’s a case of squeezing past those coming in opposite direction. Views are great from the top. During our visit four classes of school children came pouring up the top of the lighthouse. There was clearly no limit on the number of people at the top. It cost us 70 INR for a tuk tuk from town to get to the lighthouse.

Alappuzha, the place where India's Alleppey Lighthouse stands, was one of the busiest ports and trade centres of Kerala. Alappuzha, a part of Travancore, was ruled by Rajas of Erstwhile Travancore before India's independence. After the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch and English traders, Vizhinjam, Kollam, Travancore and Purakad were the main ports of Erstwhile Travancore through which foreign trade flourished. The decline of the Port of Purakkad necessitated the rehabilitation of the traders for which Alappuzha was selected as a port and infrastructure was developed. The port was opened to foreign traders in 1792. There was no regular lighthouse provided in the 18th century, only a light on the pier head served the mariners.

The Alappuzha Lighthouse is situated in the coastal town of Alappuzha, Kerala. It was built in 1862 and is a major tourist attraction. Visitors are allowed between 1500 hours and 1630 hours on every weekday at an admission fee of 20 rupees for Indian citizens and 50 rupees for foreigners.