Coonoor Tourism

Coonoor is a Taluk and a municipality of the Nilgiris district in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It is known for its production of Nilgiri tea. Coonoor is located at an altitude of 1,850 m (6,070 ft) above sea level, and is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri hills after Ooty. It is an ideal base for a number of trekking expeditions leading into the Nilgiris. The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport about 79 km from Coonoor town. As of 2011, the town had a population of 45,494. Coonoor is also home to the Pasteur Institute of India, which is responsible for producing Anti-rabies Vaccine and DPT group of Vaccines for the Expanded Program of Immunization of Government of India.

Coonoor provides the travellers with the panoramic view of the lush green Nilgiri hills, with its ravines, valleys and waterfalls. The major attraction of Coonoor is Sim's Park, a well-maintained Botanical Garden that houses several varieties of plants found missing in the other Hill Stations. It is spread over 12 hectares. Lambs Rock, Dolphins Nose, St. Catherine Falls, and Law's falls are some popular places to visit in Coonoor.

It is an ideal base for a number of trekking expeditions leading into the Nilgiris. One of the popular trekking trails is to Lamb's Rock that is 9 km from Coonoor. Lamb's Rock overlooks the Coimbatore plains, providing a spectacular view of the tea and coffee plantations. A little ahead of Lamb's Rock is located the Lady Canning's Seat that offers a panoramic view of the Nilgiris. Bird watching is a popular pastime in Coonoor. It houses variety of birds such as thrushes, babblers, larks, cuckoos, robins, vultures, eagles and song birds. Coonoor started attracting more tourists these days due to buzzing over urbanization of Ooty.

A major fruit and vegetable festival is held in the month of May at the Sim's Park which draws a major crowd. The tea and tourism festival is another important festival of Coonoor held in the month of January. The festival attracts tea specialists from all over the world. The Nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport about 68 km from Coonoor town. Coonoor is connected by a meter gauge railway line in the world famous Nilgiri Mountain Railway between Mettupalayam and Ooty. Mettupalayam (32 km) and Coimbatore (68 km) are the nearest railway hubs to Coonoor. Coonoor is well-connected by road with Ooty, Coimbatore, Mysore and Bangalore. The best time to visit Coonoor is March to June & September to October while the peak season is April to June. Usually it takes one full day to visit Coonoor.