A Timeless Coastal Escapade
Aavi Beach Retreat is a dedication to traditional Malabar hospitality. This -year-old heritage home, tastefully restored and reimagined for your comfort, brings you closer to the unique culture and rich heritage of this erstwhile seat of the Nileshwar royals.
Every element at Aavi bears testimony to the stories of the land—stories we strive to keep alive. Of the local art, culture, artisans, traditions, nature, and a slower time. Stories that speak of a different kind of luxury.
Nothing comes between you and the sea at Aavi. The home opens directly onto the beach and lives to the rhythm of the Arabian Sea right in front. The sun gently wakes you as it peeps through the coconut fronds and invites you for a morning stroll. Or an evening stroll. It’s always stroll-o-clock.
Some days are meant to unfold without plans. A hammock in the shade. Little victories like actually finishing a book. The tide slipping in and out. At Aavi, silence isn’t a pause—it’s the way time moves.
As a former ancestral home, or tharavadu in Malayalam, Aavi fills you with a sense of homecoming—of lost summer holidays and endless days bygone. Where games paused only for snacks and savouries, and time had no meaning. Chakara, our upstairs dining space and lounge, with its red oxide floor, laterite brick pillars, and terracotta roof, brings back a cherished place and time from your childhood. The space offers an elevated panorama of the beach and features an artfully crafted, turtle-shaped light that illuminates it, a tribute to the Olive Ridley turtles that come to our beach to lay their eggs.
Even if it’s your first visit, Aavi feels familiar. There’s no performance here—just warmth, ease, and a quiet invitation to slow down. To belong.
Aavi welcomes you in, looks after you well, and lets you go when you're ready—rested, unhurried, and a little more whole.
01
The Location
Aavi Beach Retreat sits like a gentle seabird on a pristine, secluded strip of sugar-sand called the Ozhinhavalappu Beach in Nileshwar. A secluded stretch of quiet and calm that it feels like your own private beach. The view from your room is a horizon of blue, interspersed with feathery swatches of deep green coconut fronds, dimpled dunes and a beckoning sea. As though nature were painting with its finest colours before giving the sky to the stars - just so that you could have this moment.
02
The People
What truly makes this part of Kerala unforgettable is its people. Here, hospitality isn’t something taught—it’s simply their nature. They welcome you without pretense, conversations begin easily, smiles appear without reason, and there's an innate urge to feed you until you wish for an extra stomach.
These shores have welcomed visitors from afar for eons, perfecting hospitality to a fine art. In Malabar, guests are seen as a blessing—not a transaction. The warmth and genuine affection linger long after you leave.
03
The Culture
Kasaragod offers the slow traveller unequalled, layered escapes. This northern end of Kerala remains largely untouched by tourism - known as Saptha Bhasha Sangam Bhoomi, a land where seven languages meet. Malayalam, Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, Marathi, Beary and tribal dialects all coexist here, carrying stories of migration, trade, memory and belonging. Among the many living traditions of this region, none runs deeper than Theyyam - a sacred ritual where the performer becomes the deity.
04
The Experiences
Step outside Aavi and you find yourself in a place where two worlds meet. Kasaragod holds the soul of Malabar and the spirit of Tulunadu - a cultural melting pot shaped over centuries. Visit Bekal Fort - a 17th-century laterite fortress built on a cliff, once a coastal stronghold that still stands sentinel over the Arabian Sea. Witness a Theyyam at night, visit shrines like Madiyan Koolom and Ananthapura Lake Temple, meet bronze artisans in Kunhimangalam, explore a nearby pottery village or trek through the hills of Ranipuram. End the day kayaking through the Kavvayi backwaters.
Room with a Sea
Aavi offers 4 cozy, well-kept rooms - three face the sea, and one opens to the garden. Restored from an old family home, each room carries its own character. They’re not large, but they feel just right - comfortable, simple and in tune with the house they belong to.
A Taste of Malabar
Served at Home
Malabari cuisine blends coastal harvest and ancient spice routes into honest, soulful dishes—fresh seafood, seasonal produce, served warmly and generously.
Malabari cuisine fills the soul as much as the stomach. It’s a culinary journey distinct from the rest of Kerala - shaped by trade, the land and migration. What arrives at the table carries hearty influences from many pages of history - layered, generous, and always personal. Expect bold flavours, varied textures and the kind of warmth only a home kitchen can offer. And once you’ve left, prepare for a kind of longing no restaurant can satisfy.
Our kitchen keeps it simple and honest - food is prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, based on what’s seasonal and grown nearby. Seafood is central to the table here, often caught that morning and cooked without pretentious fuss. What’s served isn’t styled or staged - it’s the kind of food this coast has always made, passed down through generations and cooked with care and affection.
Not The Usual Kerala
From sacred Theyyam rituals to hilltop treks, hand-thrown pottery to bronze casting, North Kerala offers a slower, deeper way of seeing. Here, you can walk the walls of Bekal Fort, kayak through Kavvayi’s quiet waters, cruise down the Tejaswini, and end the day on a beach where the river meets the sea.
Theyyam
Witness Theyyam- The Dancing Gods of Kerala in sacred groves, village temples and ancestral homes of North Kerala. The theyyam season is from November to May—where performers become deities. It's intense, sacred, and one of the oldest living traditions of this land. This is the only region in Kerala where you can experience Theyyam in all its authenticity, intensity, and cultural respect.
Bekal Fort
Built in the 17th century for coastal defence, Bekal Fort stands on a laterite cliff, surrounded by sea on three sides. Its majestic boundary walls, guard towers, and secret tunnels to the sea have stood the test of time. The song Uyire Uyire from the movie Bombay gave it national recognition.
Houseboat Cruise
Enjoy a tranquil houseboat ride through the Tejaswini River and into the Valiyaparamba backwaters - a route less known, but deeply rewarding. Glide past coconut groves, country boats, and riverbank homes where daily life unfolds without spectacle. A magical sunset completes the cruise, where the river meets the Arabian Sea in a quiet estuary.
Pottery Village
A short drive from Aavi brings you to a small pottery village near Nileshwar where clay is hand-thrown, sun-dried, and fired in open kilns - a craft that remains simple, useful, and true to its roots.
Heritage Trails
Visit the old palaces of the Nileshwar kings, known for their wooden architecture, carved ceilings, and quiet courtyards. These spaces still carry the grace and dignity of a former royal life.
Bronze Village Trail
In Kunhimangalam, artisans craft traditional bronze artefacts using age-old casting techniques. Watch lamps and deities take shape in workshops where metal, fire, and memory still work side by side.
Temple Trails
Visit shrines like Ananthapura Lake temple, Madiyan Koolom, and Madhur—each with its own unique rituals, stories, and architecture. These are not tourist stops, but living places of devotion still central to village life.
Plantation Trail
Take a 35 km journey through lush plantations, walking paths lined with pepper vines, coconut palms, and orchards. A quiet way to see how the land continues to feed the region.
In & Around Kasaragod
To The Sand &
Live Slowly By The Sea