Ashtamudi Lake

Ashtamudi Lake is a large estuarine lake in Kollam District, Kerala, known as the gateway to the Kerala backwaters. Covering about 61 sq km, it is the second largest lake in Kerala and a designated Ramsar wetland. The name means eight-armed, referring to its eight channels. Fed by the Kallada River and connected to the Arabian Sea at Neendakara, it is noted for houseboat cruises, mangroves, islands and rich biodiversity.

Visitors can expect a broad brackish-water lake with palm-fringed shores, coconut groves, mangrove patches and small islands such as Munroe Island. The main experience is a backwater cruise by houseboat or motorboat from the Kollam KSWTD jetty, passing fishing villages, Chinese fishing nets, coir processing areas and birdlife. The lakefront has boat jetties, promenade areas and views of the Neendakara estuary where the lake meets the sea.

Ashtamudi Lake and the Kollam (Quilon) port on its shores have been an important maritime trade centre since ancient times, with documented trade links to Phoenicians, Romans, Chinese and Arabs. Kollam was a major port for spice trade and was historically significant as an early settlement on the Malabar Coast, with the lake serving as a navigational waterway and fishing ground for centuries.

The lake sustains the traditional backwater culture of Kollam, including fishing, coir making, and village life on islands like Munroe Island. It is central to Kerala's backwater tourism identity and local livelihoods, with houseboat culture, canoe services and annual boat-related tourism activities reflecting the region's water-based heritage.