[ Edit ] Overview

Surrounded by tea plantations, Coonoor is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri mountains characterized by lush green slopes, ravines, valleys and waterfalls. Situated at an altitude of 1839 meters above the sea level, the hill station is located at the head of Hulikal ravine and was once home to the Coon tribe. It is referred to as Coonoor “oor” meaning "hamlet" or "village".

Coonoor became a popular hill station in the 19th century courtesy the British. And while the British have left, the touches of the old grandeur Raj as still evident in the architecture, the landscaping and the names of lanes like Bedford, Elk Hill etc.

Coonoor is one of the hill stations on the toy train line that runs between Mettupalayam and Ooty. It is a part of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, one of India’s oldest mountain railways, and declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2005 (Mountain Railways of India).

Some of the tourist attractions of Coonoor are Dolphin's Nose, lamb's Rock, SIM' Park and Coonoor Tea Festival. This place is a paradise for bird lovers, which can be sighted along the trekking paths and forest trails around Coonoor.

Coonoor has been divided into upper and lower parts, the upper part being residential and lower part being commercial. The surrounding locales also make Coonoor an ideal location for many filmmakers from both India and abroad. The town was the backdrop for the movie “A Passage to India” by David Lean based on the novel of the same name by E.M.Foster.

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[ Edit ] History

Coonoor was discovered by a British businessman in 1819.  He built a  bungalow - Silverdale - in Coonoor following which the elite of the British started to settle here in large numbers. The tea plantations were thus started supported by the temperate climate. The construction of the toy train rail line from Mettupalayam to Ooty further accelerated the development in this region.

Quick Facts

[ Edit ] State

Tamil Nadu, India

[ Edit ] Location

Nilgiris District in the western part of Tamil Nadu and near the Kerala State border.

[ Edit ] Best Time To Visit

The best time to visit Coonoor is between the months of October to March.

[ Edit ] Tourist Offices

[ Edit ] STD Code

0423

Sightseeing

Bird Watching

Coonoor is a bird watchers paradise. One just has to look and listen to their melodious chirps to believe it.  Some of the varieties that are seen in Coonoor include Parakeets, Skylarks, Nilgiri Verditer, Cormo...More>>>

Coonoor Tea Festival

The Coonoor Tea Festival is an event held annually in January and attracts tea connoisseurs and buyers from all parts of the world given the large number of tea plantations around here that produce quality tea.

Dolphin’s Nose

Dolphin’s Nose is a unique and giant rock jutting out of the face of the hillside in a formation of a Dolphin’s Nose. Situated in the Tiger Hills, about 12 kms from Coonoor, the view is beautiful from he...More>>>

Droog

Droog is a historical place 17 kms from Coonoor. Droog is also called Bakasura Malai linking it to the local legend of the demon Bakasura. Malai means Mountain in Tamil.

One can trek up to the Nonsuch Es...More>>>

Lady Canning’s Seat

Lady Canning’s Seat, 8 kms from Coonoor, lies on the same road that leads to Lamb’s Rock. Lady Canning was the wife of the Viceroy and very fond of this particular spot.  It lovely spot was in the h...More>>>

Lamb’s Rock

Lamb’s Rock is en route to Dolphin’s nose. The rock is a sheer precipice of jagged rock and drops down several 100 feet below into the dense jungle. It was named by the then Collector E.B Thomas after a ...More>>>

Law’s Falls

Law’s Falls is a beautiful picnic spot about 7 kms on the Coonoor – Mettuplayam Road. The falls are from a height of 180 feet and there are vast stretches of undisturbed shoals and is a paradise for natu...More>>>

Masinagundi

Situated on a wild elephant feeding / migration corridor,  Masinagundi is a charming place with scenic beauty.  It is located 18 kms from Coonoor.

Ooty

Ooty, the "Queen of Hill Stations", is located about 19 kms from Coonoor.  It is the most popular hill station in the Nilgiris.

Pasteur Institute

The Pasteur Institute is located opposite to SIM Park. Research is conducted here on rabies and polio for development of vaccines against diseases. Since it is not open to public special permission is required from ...More>>>

Pomological Station

The Pomological Station is one of the three experimental gardens in Nilgiris maintained by the Horticulture Department of Tamil Nadu Government. An institute of great repute, it carries out research in different fru...More>>>

SIM's Park

SIM’s Park is an unsual park and the prime attraction of Coonoor.  It is park and botanical garden developed on the natural contours of land in Coonoor. Spread over an area of 12 hectares, it is situated ...More>>>

Trekking

Forecast

Wednesday's forecast    Rain. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Temperature of 26°C. Winds WSW 25km/h. Humidity will be 80% with a dewpoint of 22° and feels-like temperature of 26°C. High: 26 °C Low: 20 °C

Thursday's forecast    Scattered showers. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Temperature of 27°C. Winds W 24km/h. Humidity will be 84% with a dewpoint of 24° and feels-like temperature of 27°C. High: 27 °C Low: 20 °C

Friday's forecast    Rain. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Temperature of 26°C. Winds W 28km/h. Humidity will be 80% with a dewpoint of 23° and feels-like temperature of 26°C. High: 26 °C Low: 20 °C

Saturday's forecast    Rain. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Temperature of 25°C. Winds W 35km/h. Humidity will be 84% with a dewpoint of 22° and feels-like temperature of 25°C. High: 25 °C Low: 20 °C

Sunday's forecast    Light rain. There is a 80% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Temperature of 25°C. Winds W 40km/h. Humidity will be 84% with a dewpoint of 22° and feels-like temperature of 25°C. High: 25 °C Low: 20 °C

Monday's forecast    Rain. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Temperature of 23°C. Winds WSW 41km/h. Humidity will be 87% with a dewpoint of 21° and feels-like temperature of 23°C. High: 23 °C Low: 20 °C

Tuesday's forecast    Light rain. There is a 60% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Temperature of 23°C. Winds WSW 33km/h. Humidity will be 86% with a dewpoint of 21° and feels-like temperature of 23°C. High: 23 °C Low: 20 °C

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