7 Things to Do in Yercaud, the Shevaroys' Quiet Coffee Hill Station

Yercaud sits at around 1,500 metres in the Shevaroy Hills of Tamil Nadu, a compact hill station built around a small artificial lake and surrounded by coffee, pepper and orange plantations. It gets a fraction of the visitor numbers of Ooty or Kodaikanal, largely because it's smaller and less developed for tourism, which is precisely what keeps its viewpoints and estate roads quiet even in season. Here's how to spend a couple of days there.

1. Row across Yercaud Lake

The town's central lake, artificial but well established, has pedal and rowing boats available along its edge, and a walking path circling it makes for an easy orientation to the town on arrival.

2. Take in the view from Lady's Seat

One of Yercaud's better-known viewpoints, Lady's Seat looks out over the plains toward Salem and catches a dramatic sunset on clear evenings, with the drop giving it a reputation as the town's most photographed lookout.

View on Google Maps →

3. Walk out to Pagoda Point

A quieter viewpoint than Lady's Seat, Pagoda Point takes in a wider sweep of the Shevaroy range and the valleys below, and tends to have far fewer visitors even at peak times.

4. Visit a coffee or orange estate

The Shevaroys have grown coffee since the 19th century, alongside orange orchards that give the hills a second harvest season, and several estates around town allow visitors to walk through the plantations, particularly during the coffee flowering and harvest months.

5. See the Shevaroy Temple

Dedicated to Shevaroyan and Karayi, the hills' presiding deities, this temple gives the Shevaroy range its name and remains an active pilgrimage site, particularly busy during its annual festival.

6. Walk through the Botanical Garden and Rose Garden

Yercaud's terraced botanical garden and adjoining rose garden hold a wide range of hill-station flora, including several orchid varieties, and make an easy, unhurried stop between the town's viewpoints.

7. Visit Killiyur Falls

A multi-tiered waterfall reached by a steep flight of steps down from the plateau, Killiyur Falls runs fullest just after the monsoon and is a natural extension of a Shevaroy Hills day out.

Traveller tips

• Salem, roughly 30 kilometres away, is the nearest railway junction and has the closest airport connections.
• The ghat road up to Yercaud has numerous hairpin bends; buses and taxis run regularly from Salem.
• The coffee flowering season, typically after the first pre-monsoon showers, is a striking but brief time to visit estates.
• Killiyur Falls' steps can be slippery; sturdy footwear is advisable, especially just after rain.