Alappuzha's main draw is the backwaters — the network of canals, lakes and lagoons that thread through the surrounding Kuttanad region. Houseboat cruises, canoe trips, and the famous Nehru Trophy Boat Race are the centrepieces, but the town also has a fine beach, some quiet temples and churches, and a coir (coconut fibre) heritage that shaped the town's economy for two centuries.