Kakkathuruthu Island | Things To See | How To Reach
Kakkathuruthu in Ezhupunna village of Alappuzha rose to fame when National Geographic in their ‘Around the World in 24 Hours’ photo feature listed it as one of the most beautiful places to visit. That means if you got 24 hours to travel around the world, this is the place where you should spend one hour of it. It is a quaint village far from the madding rush of the modern world. The most famous attraction here is indeed the sunset whose ethereal beauty cannot be expressed in words. The island is surrounded by the backwaters of the Vembanadu Lake. The fact that it found a place in a list that includes destinations like New York, Kyoto and Abu Dhabi is indeed quite an achievement. Ferries are the only way to access this small island.
How did Kakkathuruthu get its name?
Kakka is Malayalam means crow. Thuruthu roughly translates into abode or something like that. No one knows exactly how the island got its name. One popular story is that when people started dwelling on this island for the first time, they could only find crows everywhere. So, the place where crows were in abundance began to be known as Kakkathuruthu.
As you enter the island from the boat jetty, the first sight that awaits you is a small temple. The untarred village roads have a sandy top layer and walking on them is simply delightful especially for people coming from cities. As you go deeper inside you will find playgrounds and ponds where they grow prawns.
Although the island is inhabited, there are only bare minimum facilities here and they are confined to an anganwadi, a hospital and a small temple. Although residents have been demanding the construction of a bridge to connect the island to the world outside, their pleas have not yet been answered. There are no hotels on the island so bringing your own food and beverages is a must. Of course, if you forgot to do it, you can always depend on the hospitality of the villagers. They are used to seeing tourists around and understand the lack of facilities, so they will readily treat you to a yummy meal.
Kakkathuruthu is famous for its sunset. People routinely visit this place from countries as distant as Korea and the US just to immerse themselves in the marvellous sight of the sun slowly descending and disappearing behind the horizon. As the sun sets, the entire island bathes in a golden glow. This indeed is a sight you will remember for a long time.
How to reach there?
Kakkathuruthu Island is near Eramalloor region of Alappuzha, Kerala.
The only way to access the island is via traditional boats. Boats are available from Kodapuram jetty which is just 5 minutes away from NH 66 passing through Eramalloor. Buses are available from Cherthala and Kochi to Eramalloor.
The nearest railway station is the Cherthala railway station which is 15 kms away. The nearest airport is the Nedumbassery (Cochin International Airport) which is 75 km away. The Kochi port is 20 kms away.
Nearby attractions
The port city of Kochi and backwaters of Alappuzha are only a few kilometers away from Kakkathuruthu.