Colachel (Malayalam: [kuɭɐt͡ʃːɐl]) is a coastal town in the far south of India, located in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.

It is a natural harbor on the Malabar coast, located 20 km north-west of Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), the southernmost tip of India.

Colachel is an ancient port town, that Vasco da Gama called ‘Colachi’.

Nagercoil the headquarters of Kanyakumari District is 20 km away from this town in the North East Direction.

Colachel was the location of the battle between the Travancore (Anglicised form of Thiruvithaamkoor) King Marthanda Varma (1729–1758) forces led by the thiruvithaamkoor nair patalam(body guards of the king) and Anantha Padmanaban Nadar and the Dutch East India Company forces led by Admiral Eustachius De Lannoy on 10 August 1741.

Nagercoil, the district headquarters of Kanyakumari is situated 47  km from Colachel in the north-east direction.

The Four lane National Highway under-construction NH66, connecting Kanyakumari and Kerala, bypasses Colachel at a distance of 8 km.

The broad gauge rail link between Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari passes at a distance of 9  km from Colachel town.

The nearest Air Terminal to the town is Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, which is located 65 km away in the northwest direction.

It is situated very close to Mahendragiri, where the Indian Space Research Organisation's rocket testing facility is located.

Efforts are being made by the port advisory committee for the construction of a ship yard and for the development of a natural harbour at Colachel.

There is a very ancient church, locally known as Thomayar koil at Thiruvithamcode on the way to Azhakiyamandapam claiming its ancestry to 63 AD and believed to be consecrated by none other than St.Thomas[citation needed], the apostle of Jesus.

This was recently declared as an International Pilgrim Centre (Arappally) of the Syrian Christians of Kerala, the neighboring State.

On the golden sands of Kanyakumari stand the shrines of Adi Sankara with his disciples, Swami Vivekananda in meditative mood and Gandhi Smarak Mandir in Oryan style.

The off shore 133 feet tall statue of Thiruvalluvar at Kanyakumari is a notable landmark of Tamil Nadu tourism places.

The Travancore Army completely exterminated the superior and better equipped Dutch Forces which landed at Colachal in July 1741 during the reign of the Travancore King, Sree Padmanabhadasa Maharajah Sree Anizham Thirunal Veera Bala Marthanda Varma Kulasekharaperumal.

It has conch at the top of the pillar and on its base the following words are inscribed "In memory of the fallen brethren during the battle."

[8] The chronological order of the activities in formulation of the urban local body and its up gradation are listed below: Indian National Congress, Bharathiya Janata Party, Dravida Munetra Kazhakam, Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam, Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi, Naam Thamizhar, Amma Nakkal Munnetra Kazhakam and Makkal Desam Paraiyar Peravai has acceptably votebanks.

Also there is a nearby natural mineral extraction factory called Indian Rare Earths Limited.

There are some nursery schools which were managed and run by the state government of Tamil Nadu is situated in Maramdi street.

V.K.P higher secondary school is one of the old and traditional educational institution founded by V. Krishna Pillai located at the entrance of Colachel town in the state highway of Nagercoil to Marthandam.

Ayya Narayana swamy Temples in Thiru Aadu Vassipu (Aakilathirattu Ammanai reading), Villupattu, Kaniankoothu, Sakkiyankoothu, Thiruvathirai Kali, Kalial, Paraiyan thullal and Ottam Thullal are some of the folk arts performed during temple festivals.