Surya Samudra began as a single octagonal stone house thirty miles from the tip of India and just a few minutes from the historic Vizhinjam harbour (pronounced as Virinyam) Today, it has grown into an eco-friendly beach resort with 23 houses spread over nearly 20 acres of private space and each house comes with a luxuriant foliage of coconut, palm, bamboo, banana, wild shrubs, flowers and the chirping of birds.

An impressive line-up of 21 antique granite sculptures of lions welcomes every visitor into the reception area of Surya Samudra. They are positioned against the backdrop of an unpolished granite wall. A pathway laid with rectangular granite slabs, reminiscent of the outer courtyard of traditional Kerala temples, ends in front of a pair of carved granite pillars. From there, steps lead towards houses so positioned, that each house offers an unrestricted view of the sea and the beaches. Further, sand paths couched in rich foliage, link the houses. The land is terraced to prevent erosion and the cottages are placed at different levels hidden from each other by vegetation.