The Rumbling Lure of the Waterfalls of Wayanad

Kerala’s charming natural beauty has lured nature lovers from across the globe. Wayanad district in northern Kerala has been specially blessed. The scintillating beauty of Wayanad with its undulating hills decked in green, unmolested by the menace of mass tourism and brimming with a wide range of flora and fauna is truly appealing to any lover of Nature. The beauty of the place is accentuated by countless waterfalls that thunder down rocky clefts, shimmering in the sunlight and ending in a glorious spray that creates a nebulous aura around them.

Meenmutty, Soochipara, Kanthanpara and Chethalayam are some of the better known waterfalls of Wayanad. Each sparkling cataract goes through an exciting journey before tumbling down from rocky massifs with a reverberating roar. Originating from their fountains in the spice laden mountains of Wayanad, the streams meander garrulously through dense greenery, emerging for a brief, glittering plunge through the air before disappearing once again under thick foliage cover

Meenmutty is the biggest of the waterfalls in Wayanad district both in terms of volume and height. The water cascades down in three stages from a height of about 300 meters. Meenmutty lies off the main road to Ooty, another popular hill resort in south India. It takes an arduous trek of two kilometers to reach the falls. Reaching the three different stages takes even more strenuous effort, but once you get there you’ll find it was well worth the effort. Meenmutty is 29kms from Kalpetta and 28kms from Sultan Bathery.

Soochipara is another three-tiered waterfall and is located at Meppadi, about 20kms from Kalpetta. The water here plummets down from a height of about 200 meters. Shallow pools below the fall allow ample scope for you to wallow in the cool waters. Though relatively smaller, Kanthanpara Falls is easily reachable, and makes an ideal picnic spot. It lies at a distance of 22kms from Kalpetta, 23kms from Sultan Bathery and 57kms from Mananthavady. The Chethalayam Falls is lesser known than the others. It is located 12kms away from Sultan Bathery on the Pulpalli Main Road, and takes 4kms of trekking to get there. If waterfalls are the things that thrill you, then Wayanad is your place.