Kannur

The land of theyyam ritual dance at the northern end of the Malabar Coast, with the Portuguese-built St. Angelo Fort, a drive-in beach and backwater houseboats, stretching north to Bekal Fort.

Kannur, formerly Cannanore, lies on the Malabar Coast in northern Kerala, India. A spice-trading port since ancient times, it has left behind the Portuguese St. Angelo Fort, the palace of the Arakkal family—Kerala's only Muslim royal dynasty—and the British Thalassery Fort. It is known as the "Land of Looms and Lores": handloom weaving here has a century-long history, while theyyam is a ritual unique to North Malabar, in which heavily made-up dancers in towering headdresses embody deities. Performances rotate among village shrines from November to April, and at the Parassinikadavu Muthappan Temple they can be seen almost daily. Sightseeing falls into three parts: the forts, fishing harbor, beaches and museums in town; to the south, Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach, Dharmadam Island and old Thalassery (with the former French enclave of Mahé further south); and to the north, the Kavvayi backwaters, Ezhimala hill, and, about 75 km away in Kasaragod district, Bekal Fort and the Valiyaparamba houseboats. Inland, Paithalmala and the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary are good for hiking. The best season is Nov–Mar, when it is cool and dry and the theyyam season is in full swing; the Jun–Sep southwest monsoon brings torrential rain, and swimming in the sea is prohibited. Kannur International Airport has flights to the Middle East and within India, and the city is on the main coastal railway line, about 90 km north of Kozhikode. Plan on 3–4 days, and be sure to try Thalassery biryani and Malabar seafood.

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Itineraries