Travel · Destinations · 7 min read

Cheeyappara and Valara Waterfalls: The Gateway Falls on the Road to Munnar

Between Neriamangalam and Adimali, the Kochi–Madurai highway climbs through forest and past two great waterfalls. A roadside guide to Cheeyappara and Valara, and to the stops along the way from the plains to the high ranges.

By GK Global, Adimali, Munnar · Trails & Tales by GK

For most travellers, the journey into the hills of Idukki begins at Neriamangalam. Here the Kochi–Madurai highway crosses the Periyar on its old arch bridge, leaves the rubber and coconut country of the plains behind, and starts to climb. The forest closes in, the air cools, and within a few kilometres the first great waterfalls of the high ranges appear: Cheeyappara, tumbling right beside the road, and Valara, thundering through a forested gorge just beyond. Together they are the gateway falls of Idukki, and almost every traveller on the road to Munnar stops to see them.

Cheeyappara Waterfalls

Rounding a bend in the forest, you suddenly see it: a broad white curtain of water pouring down a high, dark rock face in seven great steps, each tier spilling into the next before the stream dives under the road and on towards the Periyar. Cheeyappara is the most famous roadside waterfall in Kerala, and in the monsoon it is a thundering, misty spectacle that drenches anyone standing too close. Even in the dry months, a silver thread still runs down the rocks.

Because it lies right on the highway, Cheeyappara is easy to see: there are small shops selling tea, snacks and roasted corn, and troops of bonnet macaques wait hopefully at the roadside. Please do not feed them; it harms their health and makes them aggressive. In the monsoon, the place can be crowded and parking is limited, so pull well off the road and watch for traffic.

▶ Video: Cheeyappara Waterfalls

The seven-tiered falls beside the Kochi–Munnar road near Adimali. More in our video gallery

Valara Waterfalls

A short distance further, Valara is a quite different waterfall. Here the Deviyar river (also called the Thottiyar), on its way down from the hills around Adimali to the Periyar, plunges through a deep, wooded gorge in a series of tall drops and cascades. It is best seen from the viewpoints near the road, framed by dense forest, with the roar of the water rising from below. Valara is at its most powerful in the monsoon and the months just after, when it is one of the tallest falls in the district. Upstream, the Kerala State Electricity Board's Thottiyar hydroelectric scheme draws on the same river.

▶ Video: Valara Waterfalls

A tall waterfall in a forested gorge close to Cheeyappara. More in our video gallery

More stops along the way

• Neriamangalam bridge: the old arch bridge over the Periyar, built in 1935 by the Travancore government, the traditional gateway to the high ranges; a new bridge is being built beside it.
• The Neriamangalam forest: the highway climbs through a belt of moist forest, where you may see Malabar giant squirrels, hornbills and, occasionally, elephants crossing at dusk.
• Seasonal falls: in the monsoon, dozens of smaller waterfalls streak the cliffs along the road between Neriamangalam and Adimali.
• Adimali: the busy gateway town to Munnar, with spice shops, restaurants and the waterfalls of its surrounding hills. (Watch our video of the Adimali waterfalls below.)
• Beyond Adimali: the road climbs on through spice and cardamom country past Kallar, Kambiline, Karadippara viewpoint, Iruttukanam and Anachal to the tea hills of Munnar.

▶ Video: Adimaly Waterfalls

Waterfalls around Adimali, the gateway to Munnar and home of GK Global. More in our video gallery

Visit safely

• Don't climb the rocks or bathe in the pools at either waterfall. The rocks are slippery with moss and spray, the currents are strong, and water levels can rise suddenly after rain upstream.
• Watch the traffic. NH 85 is a busy highway with tight bends; park only in safe places, never stop on a bend, and keep children close.
• Mind the monkeys: keep food out of sight and do not feed them.
• Check the weather: in very heavy rain, landslips can block the road, and the district may restrict travel during red alerts.
• Road works: the highway is being widened in stages; expect delays and changes at some stops.

Best time to visit

• June to September: the falls are at their most dramatic, but expect heavy rain, mist and crowds at weekends.
• October to December: the best balance: full falls, greener hills and clearer skies.
• January to May: Cheeyappara is gentler and Valara much reduced, but the drive through the forest is still beautiful.
• Stop in the morning or early afternoon; the light is best and the road is quieter.

How to get there

• From Kochi: take NH 85 via Kothamangalam and Neriamangalam; Cheeyappara is about 80 to 90 km from central Kochi, a drive of about 2.5 hours.
• From Munnar: about 40 km (1 to 1.5 hours) down the highway via Adimali.
• By bus: buses between Kochi or Kothamangalam and Munnar pass both falls; ask the conductor to stop.
• Nearest airport and railway: Cochin International Airport (about 80 km) and Aluva railway station (about 75 km).

(Read also: the waterfalls of Idukki, Thommankuthu, our introduction to Munnar and the Munnar sightseeing guide.)