Coonoor is a town and a municipality in the Nilgiris district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for its production of Nilgiri tea.

Coonoor is located at an altitude of 1,800 m above sea level, and is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri hills. It is an ideal base for a number of trekking expeditions leading into the Nilgiris.

Tourism

Coonoor is on the metre gauge railway line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty.

The main attraction nearby is Sim's Park, a small well maintained botanical garden that has several varieties of plants. It is spread over 12 hectares. It is about 19 km to the south of Ooty and is accessible by both train and road.It also hosts an annual “Fruit Show” in summer.

There are trekking trails leading out from the town.One of the popular trekking trails leads Tourists 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.

Tourist can trek from Lady Canning’s Seat to Dolphin’s Seat, which is located 12 km from Coonoor. Nearby is Law’s Falls, which is located 5 km from Coonoor. It is possible to trek from the falls to Droog that is located at a distance of 13 km from Coonoor.Droog is also known as Pakkasuran Kottai. The ruins of a 16th century fort can be seen in Droog. The fort is located at a height of 750 m.

Attractions

Sim's Park: The Sim's Park is an important place to visit in Coonoor. Spread in an area of 12 ha, the park has a collection of over 1,000 plant species, including magnolia, pines, tree ferns, and camellia. The botanical garden is partly developed in the Japanese style and derived its name from J. D. Sim, the secretary of the Madras Club in 1874. The key attraction of the park is the annual fruit and vegetable show held in May.

Pomological Station: The institute is a research centre of the State Agricultural Department for persimmon, pomegranates, and apricot.

Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint: The Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint is 10 km from Coonoor . It not only provides a panoramic view of the vast expanse of the Nilgiri Hills but also of Catherine Falls.

Lamb’s Rock: On way to Dolphin's Nose, about 5½ km from Coonoor, lies Lamb's Rock, another vantage point to view the fantastic landscape and the tea and coffee plantations.

Droog: At a distance of 13 km from Coonoor, Droog takes one into the past, with the ruins of a fort, which was once used by Tipu Sultan in the 16th century.

Law's Falls: The majestic falls are 5 km from Coonoor, on the way to Mettupalayam.

Ooty: The hill station of Ooty, also known as the queen of hill stations is 19 km northwest of Coonoor. Ooty is an immensely popular tourist destination. Like Coonoor, Ooty is also set amongst the green settings of the Nilgiri hills and has many lakes, gardens, and buildings featuring colonial architecture.

Katary Falls: The main place of attraction is the power station which supplies a power of 1000KW of power near Selas.

Pasteur Institute: Tourists require a special permission to visit this institute. This institute is located near Sim’s park. It was started in 1907. This institute develops vaccination for rabies (dog bite disease) and Triple Vaccine (DPT, DT & TT). In earlier days, it plays a vital role in the research of Influenza vaccine. Now it produces Tissue Culture Anti Rabies Vaccine (TCARV) and DPT group of vaccines.