Coonoor, a very beautiful hill station is situated at an altitude of 1839 meters. It is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiris and is surmounted by tea plantations. It has a very mild climate all through the year and is a destination where one can enjoy the serene ambience. People usually visit Coonoor as it is a popular destination for bird watching where one gets to see varied species of birds such as cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, Nilgiri verditer, etc. Coonoor is on the toy-train line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty. The travelers can enjoy the lush green scenery from this train. Coonoor is well connected by road from Bangalore and Coimbatore and from Ooty by road and rail. The Dolphin’s Nose is a beautiful tourist spot from where one can get a panoramic view of Coonoor. Located 10kms from Coonoor it is famous for the Catherine Waterfalls. Just 08 kms from Coonoor on the way to Dolphin’s Nose is the Lamb’s Rock which gives an aerial view of the Plains in Coimbatore.
Situated on the Northern side of Coonoor Railway Station, is the Sim’s Park. The most prominent feature of this park are the winding footpaths. Other than this, there are a lot of individual tree specimens which add to the charm and beauty. Opposite the Sim’s Park is the Pasteur Institute which does extensive research and treatment to persons bitten by rabid animals. The Laws Falls, at a height of 180 feet is a beautiful picnic spot just 07 kms from Coonoor. It is a heaven for nature lovers. The Droog, now a picnic spot, was originally used by Tipu Sultan as an outpost. One needs to trek for 03 kms to reach Droog. 18kms from Coonoor is Masinagudi which is famous for scenic beauty and elephants. It is also referred to as the treffers paradise as one can enjoy a lot of treks in Masinagudi.