Yercaud, Tamil Nadu – This hill station is nestled among the picturesque coffee plantations and thickly forested slopes

This quiet little hill station on the Shevaroy hills of the Eastern ghats is the only one of its kind in northern Tamil Nadu. While the rest of this region is generally dry, including the predominantly short and rocky hills of the Eastern ghats, Yercaud presents a welcome contrast with its cool climate where temperature never rises above 30ºC and dip below 13ºC . It is a less expensive place and is also known as “the Poor Man’s Ooty”. This hill station is nestled among the picturesque coffee plantations and thickly forested slopes.

Places to see in Yercaud: It offers numerous tourist attractions that includes:

Yercaud Lake

This is a scenic lake wrapped in the lush greens and the mystical woods of Yercaud. The lake is at its full bloom during the month of May when the Summer Festival is organised. Boats are available in two options. The paddling ones for a couple or four people and the 4-seater row boats.

Anna Park

This is a beautiful park situated near the YercaudLake. It has a wonderful garden which is ideal for kids. There are few other parks nearby such as Lake Park, Gandhi Park, and Children Park which are worth a visit.

Lady’s Seat

Lady’s seat is the name given to a cluster of rocks on the south west side of Shevaroy hills that overlook the Ghat road and Salem town. Tourists can have a panoramic view of the plains below with the help of the telescope mounted at the place.

Pagoda Point

Pyramid point or Pagoda point is a viewpoint located on the eastern part of Yercaud hills. It has four piles of stones arranged in the shape of a pyramid. It is believed to be built by the local tribes and now there is a Rama temple situated between the piles of stones. This point offers a detailed view of the town of Salem and a little village called Kakambadi.

Killiyur Falls

This is an interesting and stunning waterfall located about 3 km away from the YercaudLake and is best seen after the South West monsoon or the North East monsoon. It is a 300 feet high waterfall with an attractive ambiance.

The Grange

The Grange is a castle built in 1820 by the then District collector of Salem, M D Cockburn and is considered as one of the oldest buildings in Yercaud. It is also the first commercial plantation area for coffee, oranges and apples in Yercaud.

Bear’s Cave

The Bear’s cave is located in a private coffee estate near the Norton Bungalow, on the way to ServaroyanTemple. There is a huge cave formation beside this coffee estate bungalow that was considered to be home for the bears. It is an important tourist place as it is believed to be one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya.

Shevaroy Temple 

ShevaroyTemple is the highest point in Yercaud and is situated at a height of 5,326 feet. It is dedicated to Lord Shevaroyan and is famous for the annual festival held usually in the month of May. It features a 7-day exhibition of flower shows, dog shows, boating races and a village fair.

Montfort school

This is one of the well established residential boys school in Yercaud and was started in the year 1917 by Bro. Denis. This school has an impressive architecture and is built entirely with exquisite stones, featuring beautiful gardens. It is a perfect example of Franco-Indian building style. It also has a zoo which is open to the public only on Sundays.

Botanical Garden

Botanical Garden features a large collection of rare and endangered species of plants including the pitcher plant and the famous kurinji flower which blossoms once in 12 years. The garden is also home to the National Orchidarium which is ranked as the third largest of all the orchidariums in India. It has a collection of over a hundred species of orchids, of which about 30 are exclusively found here.

Nearby attractions from Yercaud: From Yercaud you can make excursions to places like:

Salem

Just 30 kms away, it is one of the interesting places near Yercaud. It has a Mosque built by Tipu Sultan, London Missionary Society, ruin of an old fort and the Museum that holds valuable collections of antique terracotta and sculptures.

Kodumanal

Kodumanal, is a tiny hamlet, 40 kms away, on the banks of the NoyliRiver. The small town actually is an archaeological site dating back to the 2nd century BC. You can explore some of the amazing ruins from the Megalithic, Neolithic and the Paleolithic Age.

Namakkal

Situated 48 kms away, it is a small town which lies at the foot of a hillock with an old yet magnificent fort. The town also boasts of intricately carved rock-cut cave temples, one dedicated to Narasimhaswamy and the other being dedicated to Ranganathaswamy.

Bhavani

Just 50 kms away, it serves as the most important pilgrim destination of South India. It is situated on the Rivers Bhavani and Kaveri.

Things to do in Yercaud: Yercaud a laidback hill station in Tamil Nadu has limited range of things to do. Since the life here is unhurried you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the picturesque beauty of this small hill station town in Tamil Nadu. If you are an adventurous sort then you can go for trekking through the various trails or you can explore the caves sprinkled in the town. Take a leisurely stroll along the coffee plantations and let the heady aroma of coffee beans enthral your senses. Looking for holidays that where you can just relax and laze around then visit this small hill station of Yercaud in Tamil Nadu.

Best time to visit Yercaud:  The best time to visit Yercaud is from October to June.

How to go ?

By Air

Trichy international airport (163 km) is the nearest airport. Coimbatore (190 km) and Banglore (230 km) are other major airports nearby. These airports are well connected with Delhi and Chennai. Taxis are available and cost is about Rs 3,000 from Trichy railway station to Yercaud.

By Train

Jolarpettai (20 km) and Salem Junction (35 km) are the nearest railheads. All south bound trains passes through Salem has stop at Salem station. Salem railway station is well connected to Trivandrum (Trivandrum Exp), Cochin (Ernakulam Exp), and Mangalore (Mangalore Exp). Taxis are available from Salem railway station to Yercaud and fare is about Rs 700.

By Road

Tamil Nadu Road Transport Corporation buses connect Yercaud with other major cities in the state. Regular bus services are available from Salem to Yercaud. It is well linked with all nearby major cities of South India by deluxe luxurious tourist bus services. These buses connect Yercaud to Coimbatore (190 km) and closest metro cities like Chennai (253 km) and Bangalore (160 km).

Where to stay ?

There are abundant hotels in Yercaud. Some options are:

Grand Palace Hotel and Spa: +91 98652 56255, 99655 56255  Website: www.grandpalaceyercaud.com
Star Holidays Inc: +91- 04281 – 223337, 223338  Website: www.starholidaysyercaud.com
Hotel Shevaroys: +91 – 4281 – 222288, 222383, 386  Website: www.hotelshevaroys.com
Hotel Tamil Nadu (TTDC): +91 – 4281- 223334, 35, 36

Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.