Declared as one of the ten best places to stay in India, Cannanore or Kannur poses a strong colonial heritage. Known as the Land of the Looms & Lores due to the sprawling loom industries and ritualistic folk arts held in its temples, Kannur also has a multitude of pristine beaches. The native art of Theyyam, a popular Hindu ritual form of worship, is given immense importance in the number of temple festivals held here. It is an ideal destination for explorers, art enthusiasts and religious seekers.

Kannur is a very beautiful place situated in the Northern part of Kerala.It is less polluted place with lush greeneries, salubrious climate and rich heritage. The beaches surrounded by bonnie coconut groves and its long rivers act an ornament to this place.

Kannur is very rich with its glorious past, vivid art forms, cultural abundance and ancestry. It is believed that King Solomon's fleet of ships anchored here to collect timber

Kannur is full of beautiful tourist attractions that can be visited on a sightseeing trip. This lovely town full of myths and legend will give you more than you have dreamt of. It is bounded by Arabain Sea on the West, Western Ghats in the East and kozhikode and wayanad districts on the South. There are many tourist attractions in and around Kannur like Fort St. Angelos, Alaram Wildlife Sanctuary, Gundert Bungalow, Pythal Mala etc. that you can’t afford to miss. 

Kannur is one among the northernmost districts in the south western state of Kerala in India. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicised form of the Malayalam word Kannur. Kannur might have derived its name from one of the the Hindu diety, Kannan (Lord Krishna) and Ur (place) making it the place of Lord Krishna. The deity of the Katalayi Sreekrishna temple was earlier situated in a shrine at Katalayi Kotta in the south eastern part of the Kannur town.

Nearest Airport..kozhikode-93kms

Tel-0483-2711314,2710417,2710517.

Telephone code-++91-497

Railway enquiry phones-tel: 091-497-2734379(south),2701160

Road(ksrtc)enquiry-tel:091-497-2707777,2705960,2322826,2503062

Tourist information office-District Tourism promotion Council, Near Civil Station, Kannur-Tel;091-2506336,2700190.

Tourist Attractions           Beaches, Backwaters, Wild Life, Water Falls, Forts, Kettuvallam, Other tourist sites

Other Information           Hotels & Resorts, Hospitals, Ayurveda Centres, Yoga Centres, Shopping Areas

Payyambalam Beach

Payyambalam beach is Beach is a beach in Kannur district of Kerala in India that attracts tourists and local people.The beautiful Payyambalam beach is just 2 km from Kannur. Facing blue waters of the Arabian Sea, the beach is an ideal place for anyone who likes to spend a relaxed and laidback evening amidst calm surroundings.  

One can enjoy the panoramic views of the Sunrise and Sunset in Payyambalam beach. Aside from its clean and secluded location, the well laid out garden also pulls many tourists to the beach. The massive landscaped sculpture of mother & child erected by noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman makes it extremely captivating.

Payyambalam is also an ideal picnic spot where one can have a leisure time while enjoying the slice of nature. The best time to visit this beach is during October to May

Facilities in Payyambalam Beach

The Beautiful sandy beach punctuated with wonderful palm groves is also blest with the Vijaya Beach Park with a great entertainment facility for the visitors-boating. Another attraction here is the nearby lighthouse.

MUZHAPPILANGAD DRIVE-IN BEACH

Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach is a beach in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. It is located parallel to National Highway 17 between Kannur and Thalassery. This beach is also considered the only Drive-in Beaches in Asia and the most popular beach in the Malabar region in Kerala. Even though Goa has many beautiful beaches, it does not have a Drive-in beach.

The beach festival is celebrated in the month of April and it is one of the important tourist attraction in the district of Kannur in Kerala. The youth also try many driving stunts in cars like drifting and wheeling in bikes as this is a paradise for driving along the shore. Just 100m from this beach you would find a private island, which can be reached by walk at times of low tide.

leading to the beach. To get to this road, if you are driving from Tellicherry towards Kannur, take the left turn just before the first railway crossing you encounter after crossing the Moidu bridge. The beach is about 5 km long and curves in a wide area providing a good view of Kannur on the north. Local laws allow beachgoers to drive for a full 4 km directly on the sands of the beach. The beach is bordered by black rocks, which also protect it from the stronger currents of the ocean.

Meenkunnu beach 

Meenkunnu beach is 10 km away from Kannur town and is located in azhikode village. It is an extension of payyambalam beach.

Dharmadam Island

Dharmadam Island which is also called as the Green Island is situated in the Kannur district and is an island that is away from the main land. It is a fascinating beach and the 5 acre island is covered with large coconut trees and palms. This island is a best choice for picnic is dharmadam iseland.   Dharmadam island   isvery beautiful to see it from the beach. With permission from the owner, you can enter the Dharmadam Island. As this island is surrounded by water, during low tides, it is possible to cross the water by walking.

HOW TO REACH
District	:	Kannur
Nearest Bus Station	:	Thalasseri bus stand at a distance of 4 kms
Nearest Railway Station	:	Thalasseri railway station at a distance of 4 kM

THE MOUNTAIN RANGES OF EZHIMALA

The mountain ranges of Ezhimala are situated in Kannur district. The hillocks have a height of around 286 m. It has some historical significance because this was the headquarters of the Ezhimala Rajya in the Sang period. It was the seat of the Mooshika dynasty. This area was formerly known as Ezhi mala which means ‘high hillocks’. This name later reduced to form Ezhimala. It was the landmark for the sailors. At the bottom of the hills there are burial chambers, caves, platforms etc which indicate that these areas were inhabited from the ancient times itself. The hills are home to some of the rare medicinal herbs.

Ezhimala is close to the Arabian Sea. According to the legends, the Ezhimala is related to Ramayana tradition. It says that during the battle between Rama and Ravana, many from Rama’s army were killed. In order to bring them back to life, the senior member of the vanara sena named Jambavan prescribed to bring four medicinal herbs from the Himalayas. Hanuman was sent in search of it. On reaching the Himalayas, Hanuman could not recognize the medicinal herbs and so he plucked the whole mountain and flew back to the war land. On the way a piece of the mountain fell into the sea and that was Ezhimala. It is the belief of the local people here and so they think that Ezhimala still possess those medicinal values.

HOW TO  REACH

District	:	Kannur
Nearest Bus Station	:	Payyanur bus stand at a distance of 8 kms
Nearest Railway Station	:	Payyanur railway station at a distance of 7 kms / Kannur railway station
Nearest Airport	:	Karipur International Airport at a distance of 95 kms

THOTTADA BEACH

Thottada Beach is a beautiful beach in Kannur. It is situated at Thottada just about 2.5 km from the NH 17 connecting Kannur town and Thalassery, it is hardly 7 km from Kannur town if you come through aadi Kadalai Temple route. The virgin beach 800 meter long is ideal for sun bathing. Tourists could stay at the beach house or guest house near the beach.

The Thottada river ( a small one) flows into one end of the beach. There is also a dam/bund built across the river 3 decades ago to keep the fresh water from salt water. Away from the sea the river spreads to form swamps which makes a great inhabitat for various birds and fishes.

Location: 7 kms south of Kannur.

Nearest Railway Station: Kannur

Nearest Bus Station: Kannur

Nearest Airports: Mangalore(120 kms), Kozhikode (120 kms).

Arrakkal Museum

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The Arrakkal Museum is a museum dedicated to the Arakkal family, the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, south India. The museum is actually a section of the Arakkalkettu (Arakkal Palace). The durbar hall section of the palace has been converted into a museum by the Government of Kerala. 

Arakkal family is the royal family which ruled Kannur for several centuaries. They had family relationship with Kolathiris, the rulers of the neighbouring Chirakkal kingdom. Arakkal family had trade relationship with Arabs and later with Europeans. The islands of Lakshadweep and Maldives were ruled by Arakkal family. The king of Arakkal kingdom was known as Arakkal Raja and the Queen was known as Arakkal Beevi.

Although renovated by the government, the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Arakkal Family Trust and does not fall under the control of the country's archaeology department, the Archaeological Survey of India. The government had taken a keen interest in preserving the heritage of the Arakkal Family, which had played a prominent role in the history of Malabar. A nominal entry fee is charged by the Arakkal Family Trust from visitors to the museum.

Location: 3 kms from Kannur

Nearest Railway Station: Kannur

Nearest Bus Station: Kannur

Nearest Airport: Kozhikode (120 kms)

Madayipara 

Madayipara is a significant spot owing to its bio-diversity as well as history. In the past, Madayipara was the administrative center of the Ezhimala kings. In and around Madayipara, one can find remnants from the past. At the southern side of the hill, stand the remains of a fort called Pazhi Kotta (kotta means fort in Malayalam). Here one can also find watchtowers at the four corners of the fort. Between AD 14 and AD 18, Madayipara used to be the site for the coronation ceremony of the rulers of the princely state of the erstwhile Kolathunadu.

MADAIPARA

The hillock of Madayipara, which carries several signs of historic relevance, is also a place important from a ples and those in the midst of thick vegetation) held at Madayipara has been responsible for much of its fame.religious point of view. Here, a pond in the shape of a hand held mirror, connected to ancient jewish setllers is another historic attraction. Similarly, a temple at this site, called Vadukunda Siva Temple and the adjoining lake, about an acre in extension form yet another attraction at Madayipara. The lake near the temple will not go dry even in hot summer months and remains a source of nourishment to life forms at Madayipara. The pooram festival of Madayi Kavu (kavu ? family tem

With regard to the bio-diversity of Madayipara, it has been found that the region contains about 300 flowering plants, about 30 varieties of grass, and several insect-eating plant species. Madayipara is also home to several rare medicinal herbs, which are sought by people from near and far off places. Coming to avian life, Madayipara sustains about 100 species of butterflies and about 150 species of birds. Among the biggest butterflies in the world, the Atlas butterfly is a visitor to Madayipara.

Location: Madayi, 25 kms north of Kannur
Nearest Railway Station: PazhayangadiNearest Bus Station: PazhayangadiNearest Airports: Mangalore(100 kms), Kozhikode (140 kms).

Mappila Bay

Mappila Bay Kannur: Mappila Bay is a famous fishing harbor situated near by St. Angelo’s Fort. This fishing harbor is equipped with modern technology and equipment. It was built under Indo-Norwegian treaty and is a joint collaboration of two countries