Kavaratti
Lakshadweep's capital atoll: a glass lagoon and a strict permit
Best time to visit Kavaratti
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, off-season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: December to March
- Shoulder: April and October to November, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to September
Kavaratti season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Mar is flat lagoon and 25-31°C, with kayaking, snorkelling and the glass-bottom boats all running to schedule.
Summer March to May Prime time
April and May are hot and calm early on, but by the middle of May the pre-monsoon swell starts closing lagoon activities.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
June-Sep the sea is dangerous, watersports stop and inter-island vessels are withdrawn, so tourism effectively shuts down.
Autumn October to November Shoulder
Oct is unsettled as the monsoon retreats; by November the water clears again and the permit and ship season gets busy.
What Kavaratti is actually like
A dry, Muslim-majority island town: no alcohol, no beach bars, guest houses and packages rather than a traveller scene
Getting to Kavaratti
Entry permit is mandatory: fly Kochi-Agatti then a permitted vessel, or take an MV ship from Kochi, 14-20 h
Practical ways in: flight
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Splurge
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 2 m
- State
- Lakshadweep
- Coordinates
- 10.5672, 72.6395
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Kavaratti?
December to March is peak season in Kavaratti. April and October to November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to September. Dec-Mar is flat lagoon and 25-31°C, with kayaking, snorkelling and the glass-bottom boats all running to schedule.
How many days do you need in Kavaratti?
3 days is the usual stay. A dry, Muslim-majority island town: no alcohol, no beach bars, guest houses and packages rather than a traveller scene.
How do you get to Kavaratti?
Entry permit is mandatory: fly Kochi-Agatti then a permitted vessel, or take an MV ship from Kochi, 14-20 h. Practical ways in: flight.
Is Kavaratti expensive, and does it get crowded?
Splurge by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Bangaram Island
Lakshadweep
Uninhabited coral islet with a glowing night lagoon
70 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 1 h by road
-
Agatti Island (Lakshadweep)
Lakshadweep
Coral lagoon island - Lakshadweep's permit-only gateway
80 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Kadmat Island
Lakshadweep
Eight km coral sliver with a vast western lagoon
100 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 2 h by road
-
Minicoy (Maliku)
Lakshadweep
Maldivian-speaking atoll with a 19th-century lighthouse to climb
340 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 7 h by road
-
Valiyaparamba (Nileshwar backwaters)
Kerala
Sandbar island between four rivers and the Arabian Sea
430 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 8 h by road
-
Bekal
Kerala
A fort above a quiet, uncrowded north Kerala coastline
440 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 8 h by road
-
Kannur
Kerala
Theyyam heartland, Asia's longest drive-in beach
440 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 8 h by road
-
Thalassery (Tellicherry)
Kerala
Biryani, a British fort and Kerala's only drive-in beach
450 km from Kavaratti, roughly about 9 h by road
More places to visit in Lakshadweep
- Agatti Island (Lakshadweep) Lakshadweep
- Bangaram Island Lakshadweep
- Kadmat Island Lakshadweep
- Minicoy (Maliku) Lakshadweep