Yercaud

Yercaud is a hill station situated on the Sheoy Hills of the Eastern Ghats in the northern part of Tamil Nadu and experiences very pleasant climate. Yercaud is considered to be a poor man's Ooty, as it is less expensive place than Ootacamund.

Owing of its picturesque scenic beauty and greenery, Yercaud is now gaining popularity as a favorite tourist spot among locals as well as foreigners. In Tamil language, "Yeri" means lake and "Kaadu" means forest. Yercaud has a lake located at its center and hence the name.

Yercaud is famous for oranges and coffee plantations and it has preserved some of the forests in original condition with several resident species of flora and fauna. The main crop frown in Yercaud is coffee, but fruits like guava and jackfruit and spices like black pepper, cardamom are also grown as plantation crops. The coffee plants were brought to Yercaud from Africa in 1820 by M. D. Cockburn.

The forest areas of Yercaud are abundant with teak, sandal wood and silver oaks. The wildlife in Yercaud comprises of bison, deer, foxes, mongooses, squirrels, snakes and birds like kites, swallows, bulbuls and sparrows.

As the temperatures do not fall to the extremes, there is no need for any heavy winter clothing for tourists who visit Yercaud. There are also many trekking spots available in and around Yercaud. During the month of May, a summer festival is conducted which includes flower shows, dog show boating races and fairs.

Fast Facts

Weather

Summer 22 to 37 C
Winter 16 to 32 C

Best Season

Oct - June

Getting to Yercaud

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.

RAIL

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.

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 major cities in India by deluxe luxurious tourist bus services. These buses connect Yercaud to Coimbatore 190 km and closest metro cities like Chennai 358 km and Bangalore 160 km.

Attractions

The stunning Yercaud Lake which is surrounded by gardens and woods is one you should not miss. The Pagoda Point is another site where you can catch the panoramic view of the enchanting town. Some other natural gems of Yercaud are the Kiliyur Waterfalls, Lady's Seat, Silk Farm and Rose Garden, Deer Park, Bears Cave, Kottachedu Teak Forest and Anna Park.