Varkala sits within reach of several worthwhile excursions. Kappil Lake, about six kilometers north, is a peaceful backwater fringed by coconut groves where you can hire a boat and drift through to the sea. Anjengo Fort, a crumbling but atmospheric colonial relic about twelve kilometers south, was one of the earliest English trading posts in Kerala. Kollam, the old port city to the north, is the starting point for backwater cruises through Kerala's famous canal network.