Cycling in Alleppey: Perfect DIY day trips from Alleppey :: Kerala backwaters, India

Hi there!

If you’re looking to spend a little extra time in Alleppey, staying at a guesthouse near Alleppey Beach is perfect!

But you need something to do during the day besides laze around in the hammock all day. 😉

So, what to do?!

Cycling can make for the perfect day trip around Alleppey!

You can head to the backwaters, or you can find small fishing beaches too.

There are other places for cycling in Kerala too, including Varkala, Fort Cochin, and Munroe Island.

But about cycling in Alleppey.

Cycling Alleppey to Kainakary

Distance: Around 30 km or 20 miles round trip

I went to Kainakary by scooter, but on the way there, I was thinking what a great bicycle ride it would make.

So, here’s how to make this a perfect day trip from Alleppey as a DIY cycling tour to the Kerala backwaters

First, stay near Alleppey Beach.

Then your ride will start off right along the coast!

Then you’ll ride along for a couple of kilometers parallel to the ocean.

You won’t be always seeing the ocean as there are homes, guesthouses, hotels, restaurants, and other buildings along the beach too.

But still, you’ll see a good amount of water to be able to call it a coastal ride.

Keep riding until you get past the main section of Alleppey Beach.

Then, once you get past that, you’ll head a bit more inland and that’s when the roads start to get a bit busy.

You’ll be on a busy road for several kilometers.

But once you make your turn onto more of the “backroads,” it becomes the perfect place for cycling!

You’ll pass by some paddy fields.

And then eventually you’ll come across the backwaters.

So basically you are cycling to the Alleppey backwaters.

And from there, you can lock up your bike and walk around the backwaters too… just like you can walk around the backwaters during a backwaters canoe village tour!

This is actually the area that the See Kuttanad ferry passes through too.

There’s a good chance that you’ll be able to put your bicycle in the canoe and take it across the water too!

It’s around 10 rupees (about US$0.15) for a person to go across in the canoe.

So maybe it’ll cost another 10 rupees for your bike. Or maybe it’ll even be free.

Then once you cross the water you can keep going until you reach another section of the backwaters.

So it can be the perfect day trip from Alleppey to go cycling to Kainakary or Kuttanad.

I got the tip to go to Kainakary from this guesthouse.

The last I knew, they provide bicycles for free too if you stay there.

If you’re looking to go cycling in Alleppey, this is a huge bonus because it’s hard to find bicycle rentals in Alleppey. (I tried very hard to find a place that rents a bike and it was quite the failure.)

What’s the best cycling route for Alleppey to Kainakary?

Into Google maps, type in Kollatu jetty and search for walking directions.

It’s near there that you can probably find a canoe man for 10 rupees to cross the water so you can keep going.

If you’re looking for more to do, have a look at the map and you’ll see a toddy shop along the way.

Stop there for a very Kerala type drink – Kerala palm wine aka toddy!

It’ll be best if you get your toddy to-go though, because it’s not very safe to drink and ride…

But know before you go.

I bought toddy from several random toddy shops, but there are reasons why you may not want to buy toddy.

Cycling Alleppey to Marari Beach

Distance: Around 30 km or 20 miles round trip

I had already walked along the beach from Alleppey to Marari Beach, so I was excited to go cycling too! (It’s possible to walk right on the beach nearly the whole way, and I took a bus back to Alleppey.)

You won’t be going on this path when you’re biking.

The bike ride to Marari Beach isn’t as scenic as the walk since you have to go on the main road much of the way.

But I didn’t find this main road from Alleppey to Marari Beach to be particularly busy.

And there are plenty of scenic parts to the bike ride if you make some detours.

This is what can make the ride to Marari Beach even more worth it.

Take the small roads that lead to the beach along the way.

Basically, from Alleppey, start along the main road.

And then if you see a small road that leads in the direction of the ocean… take the road and see where it goes!

This way, you’ll come across some small fishing beaches.

You’ll also come across some quieter roads this way too.

This will take you on some residential streets as well.

Once you’re at Marari Beach, you can have some fresh coconut water as the perfect recovery drink! (It’s called nature’s sports drink for a reason.)

Then, ride back to Alleppey and recover in that guesthouse with a hammock! 😉

Be sure to take a look at the rest of the Best of Alleppey Travel Guide so you can plan the PERFECT trip to Alleppey!

HAPPY CYCLING IN ALLEPPEY!

Best things to do in Alleppey backwaters on a budget

• Canoe
• Kayak
• Ferry
• Cycling