Kerala  rivers
There are altogether forty four rivers in Kerala.All but three of these rivers originate in the Western Ghats and flow westward into the Kerala Backwaters or into the Arabian Sea. Kerala is the land of rivers and backwaters. 49 rivers, 46 flowing to the west and 3 to the east, cut across Kerala with their innumerable tributaries and branches. A navigable canal stretches from Thiruvananthapuram to Tirur out of which 41 rivulets flow towards the west while 3 of them make their way to the east. 

These rivers are comparatively small and being entirely monsoon fed, practically turn into rivulets in summer, especially in the upper areas. The longest river is Bharathappuzha. These rivers are rich in their association with Kerala's unique tradition.Three rivers, the Kabani, Bhavani and Pambar rise in Kerala and flow eastwards, Kabani into Karnataka and the other two into Tamil Nadu. 

Other water inlets
The backwaters form a specially attractive and economically valuable feature of Kerala.They include lakes and ocean inlets which stretch irregularly all along. The biggest backwater is the Vembanad l ake , about 200 sq.km in area, which opens out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin Port. The Periyar, Pamba, Manimala, Achenkovil, Meenachil and Moovattupuzha rivers drain into this lake. 

The other important backwaters are Veli, Kadinakulam, Anjingo, Edava, Madayara,Paravoor,Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, Kodungallur and Chetwa. The Sasthamcotta lake in Kollam district is a major fresh water lake in Kerala, situated in a picturesque setting with high hills on three sides. 

Excellent transportation
The deltas of the rivers interlink the back waters and provide excellent water transportation in the low lands of Kerala. The whole area is endowed with a panoramic beauty of landscape. The mid land and the coastal areas are densely populated while the main towns and cities are situated along the coastal regions. From north to south, there are many principal ports and towns like Kannur, Badagara, Koilandy, Kozhikode , Beypur, Ponnani, Kochi , Alappuzha, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kovalam and  Vizhinjam. 

Some of the major rivers of Kerala are Periyar,Bharathappuzha,Pamba,Parambikkulam and Neyyar.The remaining water inlets are rivulets, tributaries and their branches, all interconnected with the backwaters and contributing to the landscape and transportation in Kerala.