Trails in Kerala

Kerala is a narrow strip between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats, and its routes cross both. Most of them are drives: the Kochi to Kozhikode Coastal Highway follows the Malabar coast, while the Munnar Mattupetty Tea Country Drive climbs to nearly 2,000 m through tea estates in Idukki. The Kolukkumalai to Suryanelli Descent drops from some of the highest tea gardens in the Ghats on a rough estate track.

In the lowlands, the Muhamma Vembanad Lakeside Ride and the Cherthala Village Cycle Loop explore the Kuttanad backwaters, some of which lie below sea level. For walkers, the Brahmagiri Peak Trek near Thirunelli in Wayanad climbs through shola forest to grassland near the Karnataka border, and the Ranipuram Hill Trek in Kasaragod is a shorter forest climb in the north.