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7 Things to Do in Wayanad, Kerala's Highland Plateau of Tea, Caves and Waterfalls
A highland district in Kerala's Western Ghats, Wayanad trades the state's backwaters for tea and coffee plantations, prehistoric caves and waterfalls, all at a cooler elevation than the coast below.
Sep 23, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Wayanad sits on a plateau in Kerala's Western Ghats, a range recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its biodiversity, at an elevation that keeps it noticeably cooler than the Kerala coast most visitors know. Where the state's backwaters and beaches dominate the usual itinerary, Wayanad's draw is highland: tea and coffee estates, dense forest reserve, and a scatter of sites that go back thousands of years. Here are seven things to do, each with a direct map link.
1. Edakkal Caves
Reached by a steep climb up Ambukutty Mala, Edakkal is not a cave in the usual sense but a narrow cleft between two boulders, its walls carved with petroglyphs thought to date back several thousand years, among the oldest evidence of human habitation in the region.
2. Chembra Peak and its heart-shaped lake
Wayanad's highest peak is best known for Hridaya Saras, a small lake shaped like a heart near the summit trail; the full climb requires a forest department permit and a guide, and is usually a half-day undertaking.
3. Banasura Sagar Dam
Built at the foot of Banasura Hill, this is the largest earthen dam in India, and the second largest of its kind in Asia; boat rides across its reservoir, framed by the surrounding hills, are the main draw for most visitors.
4. Pookode Lake
A natural freshwater lake ringed by forest, Pookode is one of Wayanad's most accessible spots, with pedal and rowing boats available and a short walking path around parts of its edge.
5. Soochipara Falls
Also known as Sentinel Rock Falls, this three-tiered waterfall drops into a natural pool reached by a short forest walk, and is one of the few waterfalls in the district where swimming is permitted in season.
6. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and contiguous with reserves in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, this sanctuary is home to elephants, gaur and deer, with jeep safaris run by the forest department the usual way to see it.
7. Tea and coffee estate walks
Wayanad is one of Kerala's main coffee-growing districts alongside tea, and several working estates around the district allow visitors to walk through the plantations, with the Wayanad Tea Museum offering context on how the plantation economy shaped the region.
Traveller tips
- Kozhikode (Calicut) Airport, around two hours away, is the nearest major air link; Kozhikode and Mysuru railway stations both serve the district by road.
- Chembra Peak treks require an online-booked forest department permit, and numbers are capped daily.
- The monsoon months, June to September, bring the district's waterfalls to their fullest but can close some trekking routes; October to March is the more reliable window.
- Wayanad's elevation makes evenings noticeably cooler than the Kerala coast; a light jacket is worth packing even outside winter.
Where this is
Wayanad, Kerala