Kannur

Kannur is part of the 'North Malabar' in the northern end of Kerala State, India. It was previously called as 'Cannanore' which was changed back to its original Malayalam name, 'Kannur' in Feb, 1990. It is the administrative headquarters of Kannur District. Kannur is popularly known as the City of Looms and Lores. Theyyam is the famous performing art of Kannur. The famous Sree Krishna Temple at Kadalayi is situated at a distance of 5 km from Kannur town.

Industries

The major industries in Kannur include:

• Western India Plywoods, Valapattanam
• Kannur Co-operative Spinning mill, Chovva
• Keltron Components complex, Mangattuparamba
• Keltron Crystals, Mangattuparamba
• Keltron Magnetics, Mangattuparamba
• Keltron Resistors, Mangattuparamba
• Kannur Spinning mill
• Western India Cottons
• Thiruveppathi mill
• Baliapattam Tile Works
• Southern Viniers and Wood Works

Payyambalam Beach

It is the beach of the Kannur town. It has an unbroken coastline of a few kilometres. From the beach, one can see ships in transit along the Malabar coast, that is, beyond Calicut (Kozhikode) and moving towards Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai. The well laid out garden and the massive landscaped sculpture of mother and child erected by noted sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman makes it extremely captivating.

Baby Beach

It is called so as it is smaller than its bigger neighbourhood, Payyambalam Beach.The famous St. Angelo Fort is adjacent to it.

Meenkunnu Beach

Situated at Azhikode, it is hardly a few kilometres from the town. The virgin beach is a tourist’s paradise with golden sand and surf.

Thottada Beach

Situated at Thottada just 2 km from the NH 17 connecting Kannur and Thalassery, it is hardly 7 km from Kannur town. The virgin beach is ideal for sun bathing. Tourists could stay at the beach house or guest house near the beach.

Payyambalam beach

It is 2 km away from Kannur town. It is blessed with a clean and vast sea shore. The beach is renovated recently with a beautiful park adorning beautiful sculptures by famous sculputurer Kanayi Kunhiraman.

Seat of Kolathiri kings. The Kadalayi Fort and Sree Krishna temple were quite famous. The remnants of the fort and the temple are still seen in Mopila Bay. A fishing harbour, built with Indo Norwegian project assistance, can be seen at this bay. Boating in the sea, if the weather permits, will be an unforgettable experience.

Azhikode Ferry : Situated near Azhikode around 10 km from Kannur town. There is the Valapattanam river joining the Arabian sea. Azhikode ferry gives a magnificient view of the sunset. There is a granite pathway around 2 km into the sea at this place; once you reach the edge of the pathway you are surrounded by sea from all sides.

Ezhimala

The Ezhimala is 55 km north of Kannur city. The beautiful hills on the sea shore is a facinating sight. Plenty of rare medicinal herbs are found on Ezhimala hills.

Madayi Mosque

This famous mosque was built by Malik Iban Dinar in 1124 AD. It is about 22 km from Kannur town. It is believed that the marbles used to built the Mosque are brought from Arabia.

St. Angelos Fort

The St. Angelos fort is a major tourist attraction in Kannur was built in 1505 by Portuguese. It is 2km away from Railway station. The Mappila Bay Harbor and Arakkal Mosque are near the fort.

Arakkal Palace

Residence of Arackal Ali Rajas, the only Muslim royal family in Kerala. It is about 3 km from Kannur.

Thalassery

Thalassery was a place with commercial important even during olden times. British East India Company setup their base in Thalassery in 1683. The Tellichery Fort was built in 1708.

The first Gymnastic training centre was setup in Thalassery.

Gundert Bungalow

Gundert Bungalow is at Illikkunnu, Thalassery. It was the residence of German scholar Dr. Herman Gundert, who compiled the first Malayalam dictionary. He also built a church on Nettur Hill in 1889.

Aralam wildlife sanctuary

It is the one and only wildlife sanctuary in Kannur, covers an area of 55 sq km. It is about 40 km from Kannur town. This beautiful place is situated in the slopes of Western Ghats, covered with tropical ever green forest. Elephants, bear, deer, monkey, wildcats and a large variety of birds are found here.

Paithalmala

Paithalmala is about 1372 m is ideal for trekking. It is on the Kerala-Karnataka border and about 65 km north-east of Kannur city.

Pazhassi Dam and Gardens

It is the only reservoir with gardens in Kannur district. The reservoir is mainly used for irrigation. The gardens really worth a visit if you are interested is boating. The District Tourism Promotion Council boats are available to navigate through the river enjoying the silent beauty of Pazhassi dam. The garden is a good attraction with children's park and sculptures.