Surf: What makes the coastline of Varkala exceptional is its landscape. Towering reddish cliffs and thick palm tree groves overlook the beaches and if the swell is clean with rare offshores, there can be some spitting beachbreak. On the down side, rips are often strong and close-outs are the norm if it’s onshore. When it’s big, there is a rumoured left north of the cliffs. Environment: You might actually run into someone else surfing this stretch but then again, probably not.