Best Places to Visit in Thoothukudi – Beaches, Temples & Historic Sites

1. Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary

Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary is the place people should visit most in Thoothukudi. The wildlife sanctuary is numbered among the not-so-many names of national parks at South India, which is a home to tigers. This wildlife sanctuary has Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, bonnet macaque, langur, Nilgiri Tahr, flying squirrel, Pangolin etc. This wildlife sanctuary is also world famous for safari and the surrounding area is quite famous for trekking.

• Timings: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

• Location: Papanasam, Tamil Nadu 627007

2. Kalugumalai

Kalugumalai bearing other names such at Kazhugumalai is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Thoothukudi. The town is famous for ancient rock-cut temples and monolithic Jain beds. The town gets its name from the surrounding hills and name “Kalugumalai” loosely translates to “Hill of Vultures” (Ilan 1990). The surrounding hills present the town with panoramic views. The town also was a trade route in ancient times.

• Location: Thoothukudi

3. Thiruchendur Murugan Temple

Thiruchendur Murugan temple is one of the places to visit in tuticorin which is one of most religious places in sud India. The temple has a big crowd of devotees throughout the year because they go here to worship the in-house deity Lord Murugan – also known as Lord Kartikeya. The temple is renowned for offering a center hosting many festivals. This temple is one of the few temples actually that tell about the various forms of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The temple can be found not more than 200 meters from Sea, however the temple never flooded, not even during Tsunami.

• Timings: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

• Location: Thiruchendur, Tamil Nadu 628215

4. Our Lady Of Snows Basilica

South India is not only renowned for the temples, churches are pretty famous there too. There are numerous churches in Thoothukudi where their architecture is great. Our Lady of Snows Basilica is a Church, a place of worship (famously) and also one of the best places to visit in Thoothukudi. This place of worship is consecrated to St. Mary and it is based on the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore at Rome. It is the largest one being built there and the architecture is extremely impressive.

• Timings: 4:00 am to 8:00 pm

• Location: Land in Subdivision 41 Plot No, Beach Rd, Matha Koil, Shanmugapuram, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu 628001

5. Kattabomman Memorial Fort

Thoothukudi tourist place, Kattabomman Memorial Fort is an example of the houses considered a shrine among locals in Thoothukudi. The Memorial Fort standing as a memorial to the freedom fighter Veerapandiya Kattabomma Karuthayya Nayakkar, who fought the Britishers during the period of 18th Century was constructed by the Government of Tami Nadu. He was sentenced to death and hanged to death. The memorial lies at the same place where he was hanged. The memorial is very well made and well maintained.

• Timings: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm

• Location: W2MM+JFG, Panchalankurichi, Tamil Nadu 628401

6. Ettayapuram Palace

Seventy five kilometers away from the centre of the city is the Ettayapuram Palace – one of the best tourist places in Thoothukudi. This palace implies cultural and historical importance of Tamil Nadu. Even years after the fact, the palace is intact and the architecture is visible in all its glory. The best thing about the history attached to this palace is that nobody knows who lived in here. The palace has a lot of tourists from all over the world.

• Timings: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

• Location: 4XXX+C37, Ettaiyapuram, Tamil Nadu 628902

7. Ottapidaram

Ottapidaram is a small town of Tuticorin and one of the places to see in Tuticorin that shouldn’t be missed. The town is well known to the hosting of many epic places to see and learn from that have historical values. The house of V.O Chidambaram is perhaps one of the most important places to visit in this town, a freedom fighter. Another other important place to explore in here is the Ulagamman Temple.

• Location: Thoothukudi

8. Sri Vaikuntam Temple

Sri Vaikuntam Temple is one of the most beautiful temples in Thoothukudi worshipped Lord Vishnu. The temple is just one of the many Thoothukudi famous places that shouldn’t be missed. This temple belongs to the nine holy Vishnu Temples of India. The inscriptions on the temple are paintings of elephants and idols. The temple is one of the main religious places, and one of the most tourist places of Thoothukudi.

• Timings: 6:00 am to 12:00 pm

• Location: JWJ6+G4Q, Srivaikuntam, Tamil Nadu 628601

9. Manapad

Manapad – an appealing place which is unspoiled by commercialization and not entirely under exploitation by urbanization like most of the tourists’ spots. Manapad is one of the best holiday destinations in Thoothukudi that is yet untouched and undiscovered areas with landscape wonders. The town is surrounded on all sides by clear blue seas, surrounded by naturally created dunes. Infused with history as it is been gifted with landscape and scenic beauty, Manapad is a place well known for leisure activities and water sports.

10. Holy Trinity Church

Anotherr church which is not very popular in the town of Tuticorin Tamil Nadu is the holy trinity church. This church is so calm and serene, beautiful, and one of the most serene places to visit at Thoothukudi. The church conducts meetings and service prayers, and during Christmas the church is bedecked with candles.

• Location: Holy Trinity Church at OV Joseph St, Golden George Nagar, Nerkundram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600107.

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