Yercaud

     Yercaud delightful hill town.  Coffee, pepper plantations and large tracks of tropical forests make up the terrain.   The main view points, Gardens, lake and the Shevaroyan Temple here are among the highlights. This pleasant hill station situated 32 km north east of Salem is nestled in the Shevaroy hills at an altitude of 1500m.  Most of the hills are covered with coffee, pepper and cardamom plantations.  The drive to ;Yercaud from Salem along the steep and winding ghat road is by itself quite breathtaking.   The other contributors to Yercaud’s Scenic beauty are the calm Yerkadu lake, the Killiyur falls and a number of advantageous view points most of which bear the suffix ‘seat’ and provide spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

Yercaud Lake

       This screne Lake located in the center of the town is a major tourist attraton.  There are paddle and rowbats available for boating.  The lake is surrounded by a couple of parks.

Lady’s Seat

     Situated around 1.5 km from the lake offers spectacular views of the countryside with the winding ghat round,   At night one can see the twinkling lights of Salem at a distance.  In the winters most of the hills are covered with a light mist for most part of the day.  Lady’s Seat also has a Telescope if you want a closer look at Salem or any of the hills.

The Killiyur Falls

     Which are beautiful after the monsoon, are situated 7 km away from the lake and you’ll have to trek part of the way.  Trekking is advisable for big groups of at least 8 to 10 people.

The Horticultural Research Station

   The Horticultural Research Station situated around 2 km from lake.  It has an interesting collection of rare plants and has 30 different varieties of Orchids.

The Government Orchard and Nursery

     Located on the way to Lady’s Seat has an interesting collection of rose plants and ornamental plants amongst others.

Grange Estate

     The Grange is a castle like building, which dates back to the 1820s.  It was built by the then Collector of Salem (Cockburn) who is also credited with introducing the coffee plant to the hills of Yercaud.  Infact the coffee plant was first cultivated in the Grange estate itself.

How to Reach Yercaud

Rail

     The nearest Railway station is in Salem (32km).

Road

  There are frequent buses from Salem to Yercaud (1 Hour), both from the bus stand located north of the Hospital, off Omalur Road and from Salem unction.  Yercaud doesn’t have any local bus service but several of the buses from Salem ply through the town connecting it to the neighbouring villages of Cauvery Peak, Valavanthi, Nagalur, Velakkadi and Swinton Bridge.

Air

  Nearest airport is at Coimbatore, 192 km away.

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