By road
~55-72 km from Kochi
South India · Kerala
Athirappilly, Kerala
Kerala's biggest, loudest waterfall · ~55-72 km from Kochi
Getting there
By rail
Chalakudy, ~28-32 km
By air
Cochin International Airport, ~33-40 km
Best time to visit
September to January — full flow without monsoon closure risk
Don't miss
Athirappilly Falls viewpoints (top and base)
Charpa Falls in monsoon
Things to do
Riverside forest walks
Hornbill spotting
Dam-top viewpoints
Where to eat
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia, Photo: Souradeep Ghosh · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Grippy footwear, quick-dry clothes, waterproof phone pouch
A quieter corner
Vazhachal Falls upstream — quieter, framed by rainforest
About Athirappilly
- Forest
- Riverside
Where it is
Athirappilly is a village in Kerala's Thrissur district, where the Chalakudy River plunges over a broad rock face at the edge of the Sholayar forest ranges of the Western Ghats, inland from the town of Chalakudy.
History
The Chalakudy River gathers its waters in the forested Anamalai and Sholayar hills, long the home of the Kadar, a forest-dwelling tribal community. In the 20th century the river was dammed upstream for hydroelectric power, and the falls, with nearby Vazhachal, became one of Kerala's most visited natural sights.
People
The Kadar, one of Kerala's forest-dwelling tribal communities, live in settlements around Vazhachal and have long gathered honey and other forest produce. Downstream, Malayalam-speaking villages farm and serve the many visitors who come to the falls.
Known for
- Athirappilly Falls, the largest in Kerala
- Vazhachal Falls a short way upstream
- Hornbills in the riverside rainforest
- Forest walks in the Sholayar ranges
Did you know?
Athirappilly Falls has been a popular film location for decades, and scenes and a song from Baahubali: The Beginning were shot at the falls.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.