Kannur - it's about the beaches, sunsets, malabar cuisine & more....

Kerala is my native land. I'm a Malayalee by birth..... but, I grew up in Bangalore. I've stayed all my life in Bangalore. Going to Kerala was either to meet my grandparents during school vacations or to attend some family functions and get togethers. But none of those times did I ever have a chance to actually sight see this state known as "God's own country". It was after we got married that Mr. Peter has taken me to different places in Kerala, like Munnar, Alappuzha, Kochi, Calicut and Kannur. All of these places are wonderful and each has its own distinctiveness.

Kannur is located in the northern part of Kerala. Cannanore is the old English name for this city. Kannur is known as the Land of Looms And Lore, because of the loom industries functioning in the district and the ritualistic folk arts held in temples. Kannur is famous for three main things....its beautiful beaches, Theyyam - its native performing art, and its handloom industry.

Mr. Peter along with Miss J & our little man
enjoying the sunset at the Payyambalam Beach

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in Kerala. They were also the first foreign power that captured the governance anywhere in India. The arrival of Portuguese was the result of the many voyages the Europeans undertook since 14th century, to find new markets for their products and acquire new raw materials and products useful for them. On 20 May 1498, Vasco da Gama set foot on Kappad beach in Kozhikode. Till the arrival of Portuguese, the primary foreign trading partners of Kerala were the Arabs.

The Samoothiri (Zamorin) of Kozhikode greeted Gama and his entourage warmly and gave them permission to conduct trade in Kozhikode market. But the demand of Gama to exchange pepper and other products was rejected by the Zamorin. Angry at this turn of events, Gama went to Kannur. 

There he met with Kolathiri and signed a pact of trade with him. Gama soon returned to Portugal. The Portuguese dominated the trade and governence of Kerala for as long as 150 years. Their power was destroyed by the entry of the Dutch. In a battle at Kochi in 1663, the Dutch army defeated Portuguese. They were never able to recover from such a defeat and it virtually ended any power they enjoyed in Kerala. When Portugal was merged in Spain, the new administration ignored the eastern colonies as well. Thus, the influence of Portuguese got limited to Goa and adjacent places.

I remember the first time I came to Kannur.....it was the day I got married to Mr. Peter. This is his home town, the place where he grew up. There are so many memories attached to this place, which are really special to him and now, for me as well.....but that's not what I'll be sharing here. 
Let me tell you what one should explore when you are in Kannur.

Breath taking view of the Arabian Sea
from the Mascot Beach Resort.
One can see the lighthouse from here.

Sunset view from the Cannanore Lighthouse

As mentioned earlier Kannur is known mostly for its weaving industry and cashew trade, so do stop to buy some handloom textiles and cashews on your way back home. I got a couple of Kerala Set Sarees on my last visit.

The beaches to the south and north of Kannur are some of the nicest in Kerala. The Payyambalam Beach is a famous beach in Kannur with an unbroken coastline of a few kilometres. From the beach, one can see ships sailing along the coast. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in India with its water rich in marine life and the thick tree cover that stretches parallel to the white sandy beach giving it a heavenly look.

It gets really crowded, especially on weekends and public holidays. There is another beach, known as the Baby Beach right next to this. Baby Beach is so called because it is smaller than its larger neighbour, Payyambalam Beach. This beach is part of the Kannur Cantonment and access may be restricted. Right adjacent to this is the Mascot Beach Resort, which is on a cliff-top. One can enjoy the spectacular view of the Arabian Sea.

There are a couple of places near Payyambalam beach to explore. And one such place is the Cannanore Lighthouse. It is adjacent to the Government Guest House. The lighthouse is still active and it overlooks the Arabian Sea. You can see this lighthouse from the Mascot Beach Resort. 

St. Angelo Fort

St. Angelo Fort (also known as Kannur Fort or Kannur Kotta), is a fort facing the Arabian Sea. The fort is well-maintained under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India. Built in 1505 by the first Portuguese Viceroy, Fransisco Almeda, with the permission of the Kolathiris, it is still a landmark in Kannur. This fort proclaims the strength and beauty of Portuguese architecture. The Dutch captured the fort in 1663 and sold it to the Ali Raja of Kannur before it came into the possession of the British.

Though parts of the fort have collapsed, a few ancient cannons are on display inside the fort. Tourists are allowed entry to the fort every day of the week between 8 AM to 6 PM. A walk inside the fort is not only a good exercise but also the views of the Arabian Sea is ecstatic. 

Some people spend time fishing by the edges and they do get a good catch. On another side at a certain height we can see the fishing boats and a natural harbour known as the Mappila Bay. Arakkal kettu of historical importance can also be seen from this fort.

Muzhappilingad beach is another beach one must visit. I've been told that this beach is the longest drive-in beach in India. In 2016, it has been chosen by the BBC as one of the top six drive-in beaches in the world. Muzhappilangad is the only Asian beach featured in the list along with Corolla, North Carolina and Padre Island (Texas)  beaches in the US, Fraser Coast beach in Australia, Natal to Fortaleza stretch in Brazil and Sólheimasandur beach in Iceland.  

Muzhapilingad Beach

According to the report published in the BBC Auto, Muzhappilangad is termed as one of the most beautiful beaches in India in crescent shape protected by giant black rocks that keep the surf gentle. Approximately 100–200 m south of the beach there is a private island called Dharmadam Island. It is possible to walk to the island during low tide. The sunset views from here are a beautiful sight. Miss J and our little man love playing in the waters. They love collecting sea shells from the sea shore too. 


This beach is our favourite and no visit to Kannur is complete without visiting Muzhappilingad Beach. Even when the storm clouds darken the sky, we go to this beautiful beach.

The Kannur cuisine has been shaped by centuries of seasonings and food traditions from across of the world, including Arabian, Persian and European. When in Kannur, one must try out their local cuisine, fondly referred to as the "Mappila cuisine", the most famous dish being their Biriyani. 

At Hotel Odhen's

The one sweetmeat that found fans across the state, Unnakkaya is a snack that you can find in every Kannur tea shop. The dish is so famous that it has almost become synonymous with Malabar. Unnakkaya is something that you cannot afford to miss on a Kannur trip. 
Neypathiri or neypathal is a type of deep fried rice roti, commonly made in traditional Muslim households of Malabar during the time of Ramadan. These golden discs can also be found in the wooden shelves of small tea shops around the town.


The seafood cuisine is also absolutely delicious, and one place that we like is Hotel Odhen's, that serve lunch with piping hot rice served with hot fish curry & vegetable sambar along with a couple of catches of the day from the Arabian Sea like the fried koonthal (squid), nattoli (anchovies), kadukka (mussels), elambakka(small clams), mathi (sardine) and more. Hmmmm yumm!!


There are regular bus and train services from Bangalore to Kannur. Most of time we take our car and drive down there....it's approximately an 8 hour drive. The roads are pretty good. 
With a new Airport under construction, this city is a fast growing one. Its infra structure is getting better and a couple of shopping malls and sea facing apartments have also come up here. A large number tourists do visit, especially during the weekends. 

That's Kannur....my home.

Can't wait to get back again.