Coonoor

About Coonoor

Coonoor is the second largest hill station located in the Nilgiri hills in the state of Tamil Nadu in the south of India. Famous for its verdant environs and for a variety of wildflowers and birds, Coonoor provides a perfect setting for activities like trekking and hiking. It is also famous for its tea plantations and festivals. At Coonoor, travelers can also enjoy the toy train ride, which is also the means of traveling to other hill stations in the Nilgiri Hills from Coonoor. The trip provides some breathtaking views of the Nilgiri hills in all its natural glory.

Coonoor

Coonoor provides the traveler with the panoramic view of the lush green Nilgiri hills, with its ravines, valleys, and waterfalls. Bird watching is a popular activity in Coonoor, as the area boasts of a large variety of species like cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, Nilgiri verditer, etc. Travelers can take a walk through the long stretches of tea gardens. There are numerous trekking and hiking trails around Coonoor.

Major Tourist Attractions in Coonoor
Sim's Park
The Sim's Park is an important place to visit in Coonoor. Spread in an area of 12 ha, the park has a collection of over 1,000 plant species, including magnolia, pines, tree ferns, and camellia. The botanical garden is partly developed in the Japanese style and derived its name from J. D. Sim, the secretary of the Madras Club in 1874. The key attraction of the park is the annual fruit and vegetable show held in May.

Pomological Station

The institute is a research center of the State Agricultural Department for persimmon, pomegranates, and apricot.

Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint
The Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint is 10 km from Coonoor and is a spectacular spot to visit. It not only provides a panoramic view of the vast expanse of the Nilgiri hills but also of the famous Catherine Falls.

Lamb's Rock
Coonoor Railway StationOn way to Dolphin's Nose, about 5½ km from Coonoor, lies Lamb's Rock, another vantage point to view the fantastic landscape and the tea and coffee plantations.

Droog
At a distance of 13 km from Coonoor, Droog takes one into the past, with the ruins of a fort, which was once used by Tipu Sultan in the 16th century.

Law's Falls
The majestic falls are 5 km from Coonoor, on the way to Mettupalayam.

Ooty
The famous hill station of Ooty, also known as the queen of hill stations is 19 km northwest of Coonoor. Ooty is an immensely popular tourist destination. Like Coonoor, Ooty is also set amongst the green settings of the Nilgiri hills and is famous for its lake, gardens, and colonial architecture. You can enjoy a number of outdoor activities like horse riding, trekking, hiking, and boating in Ooty.

Getting There
Air : Coonoor does not have an airport of its own. The nearest airport is at Coimbatore located 71 km away.
Rail : Coonoor is on the toy-train line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty (19 km).
Road : Coonoor is very well connected by a network of roads and road transport to all major towns of Tamil Nadu like Ooty (19 km) and Coimbatore (71 km) besides the surrounding areas.

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