Plan your weekend: Explore the striking and serene beauty of Yercaud hill station

Yercaud is sometimes referred to as the Poor Man’s Ooty for things here are more affordable as compared to the other famous hill stations in the state. The name Yercaud is derived from two Tamil words — yeri (lake) and kadu (forest). The place is known for its plantations majorly coffee, orange, jackfruit, guava, cardamom and black pepper. There is also a reserve forest, which has the woods and wildlife in the original unexploited state. Even though Yercaud is a hill station, it never gets extreme temperatures, making it easier to pack clothes for the tourists.

With serene valleys and picturesque landscape, Yercaud has many attractions in store for the tourists.

From temples to caves to waterfalls to exquisite views of the valley from the hilltop, there is something about Yercaud that makes the place a weekend getaway destination. The Yercaud town located about 4,700 ft above the sea level is a popular attraction. Home to many seminaries and convents, you can take a nice evening stroll. Two of the most famous attractions are the beautifully built Sacred Heart Convent and Montfort School.

Another popular attraction is the Lady’s Seat, Gent’s Seat and Children’s Seat, which are basically a group of natural rocks on top of the Yercaud Hills.

They look like seats and overlook the Ghat Road, Mettur Dam and Salem. According to the stories, an English lady would often bask in the setting sun while appreciating the beautiful view that can be seen from this spot. This is how this place got its name.

There is viewing tower complete with a telescope which is open for visits during the day.

Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Yercaud are Big Lake, Bear’s Cave, Arthur’s Seat, Anna Park, Botanical Garden, Montfort School, Servarayan Temple, Sri Raja Rajeswari Temple and Tipperary View Point.