Edakkal Caves is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Wayanad where you can watch stone carvings in its interiors belonging to the Neolithic era. Many historians and archeologists visit this tourist spot during their visit to Kerala. You can easily reach Edakkal Caves from Kalpetta to explore the historical attractions of Wayanad. Scattered with rich coffee plantations, travelers should enjoy trekking up the hill towards Edakkal Caves. You need to take around 45 minutes to climb the hill.
A great historical spot
Edakkal Caves is a large cleft formed because of the vertical split of a large rocky mountain. It has 30 feet high, 97 feet length and 22 feet width and the interiors of it consists of many carvings including the figures of humans and animals. From the carvings of Edakkal caves, historians could find the carvings and rock tools of highly civilized people of Neolithic era. It is a place of interest for many archeologists and historians from across the globe.
Edakkal Caves discovered in 1894 by F Foster, a British Malabar Police superintendent. He could find several rock tools used in pre-historic age. Edakkal Caves has been under the administration of State Archeological Department since 1984 and declared as a protect monument. A lot of students and researchers visit this spot in addition to tourists from different parts of the world. The scenic landscape and the lush greenery certainly fascinate travelers and visiting this enchanting tourist destination can be an unforgettable experience for each traveler.
How to reach
Edakkal Caves is almost 28 kilometers from Kalpetta and hardly 6 kilometers from Ambalavayal. From Mananthavady, you need to cover almost 45 kilometers while it is only 12 kilometers from Sulthan Bathery. Travelers can reach the Edakkal cave site by trekking up the Ambukuthi hill which is near Ambalavayal. Kozhikode International Airport is the nearest airport to reach Edakal Caves.
Travel tips
You can reach the base of Ambukuthi hill by bus or car and from there you need to climb the rocks to reach the Edakkal caves. Travelers can take the service of jeeps run by DTPC to reach mid way of the destination. They charge Rs.40 for the upward journey and Rs.30 for downward trip. Adults have a ticket fee of Rs.10 while children need to pay Rs.5 to collect ticket from the counter located in the upper part of the hill to enter the caves. You can take photos and videos by paying a nominal fee but visitors are not allowed to take pictures through mobiles.