About Kannur

Country: India | State: Kerala

Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days

Nearest City to Kannur: Kozhikode (94 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Kannur: October to March

Peak Season: December to January

At a distance of 23 km from Thalassery, 92 km from Kasaragod, 94 km from Kozhikode, 113 km from Madikeri, 138 km from Mangalore, 179 km from Mysore, 265 km from Coimbatore, 270 km from Kochi, 311 km from Bangalore, 340 km from Alleppey, 445 km from Madurai and 466 km from Trivandrum, Kannur is a coastal town located along the Arabian coast of Kerala in India. Earlier known as Cannanore, it is one of the top beach destinations in Kerala, and among the best places to visit during Kerala Trip.

Sharing its borders with the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, Kannur is famed for its vibrant culture and pristine white beaches that are relatively undiscovered as compared to the coastal cities of southern Kerala. The old name 'Cannanore' is the anglicized form of the Malayalam word Kannur. Kannur might have derived its name from Lord Kannan, the principal deity of Katalayi Sree Krishna Temple, among the must include places in Kannur tour packages.

Among the top places to visit near Mangalore, Kannur was an important trading port in the 12th century with active business connections with Persia and Arabia. Kannur was strategically important and all colonial powers beginning with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, and finally the British, coveted control of this port. Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India built St. Angelos Fort at Kannur in 1505 CE which was then captured by the Dutch in 1663 CE. In 1772 CE, the Dutch sold the fort to Arakkal Kings, the only Muslim Sultanate in Kerala. The British conquered it in 1790 and became a part of the Madras province in the North Malabar District. It served as the British military headquarters on India's west coast until 1887. Kannur was the third-largest port on the western coast, after Bombay and Karachi under the British.

Cradled in the lap of nature, the beautiful town of Kannur has a plethora of sightseeing options in the form of beaches, historical monuments, and ancient temples. St. Angelos Fort, Thalassery Fort, Muzhappilangad Beach, Parassinikkadavu Snake Park, Arakkal Museum, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Payyambalam Beach, Madayipara, Valiyaparamba Island, and Kottappuram are the top places to visit in Kannur. Kannur is well known for its handlooms and is often described as the land of 'loom and lore'. Besides, Kannur enjoys the credit of having been the cradle of many colorful folk arts and folk music of Kerala. Apart from being culturally rich, Kannur is a valuable asset to the country as it is having the Indian Naval Academy, Asia's largest Naval Academy. Kannur can be visited along with Mangalore tour packages & Coorg tour packages as well.

Being one of the most important cities in Kerala, Kannur is well-linked with all major cities through all modes of transportation. At a distance of about 28 km, the city has an international airport at Mattannur which is well connected by flights with Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Mumbai. Kannur Railway Station is well connected by trains with Chennai, Trivandrum, Delhi, Coimbatore, Jabalpur, Mangalore, Gandhidham, Bhavnagar, Kochi, Ajmer, Bikaner, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Kasaragod, Alleppey, Mumbai, Amritsar, Okha, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Pondicherry, Kozhikode, Bangalore, Goa, and Chandigarh. It is well linked by road with major cities like Bangalore, Mangalore, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Madikeri, Mysore, Kochi, Alleppey, Coimbatore, Trivandrum, and Goa.

Being a coastal town, Kannur has a tropical climate. August to March is the best time to visit Kannur while November to February is the peak season. During this time the weather is pleasant and is comfortable for sightseeing. Avoid summer months as it gets very humid.

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Average
STD Code: 0497
Languages Spoken: Malayalam, Kannada, English & Hindi
Major Festivals: Theyyam Festival
Notes/Tips:
None

How to Reach Kannur

By Air

Nearest Airport: Kannur - Kannur International Airport (28 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: Kannur Railway Station (0 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Kannur Bus Station (1 Kms)

Top 10 Places to Visit in Kannur

#1 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 3 km from Kannur Railway Station, Arakkal Museum is a museum situated in Ayyikkara locality of Kannur city in Kerala. It is one of the popular museums in Kerala and among the prime Kannur tourist places.

The Arakkal Museum in Kannur is dedicated to the Arakkal family, the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, India. The museum is previously a part of the palace of the Arakkal royal family. The durbar hall section of the palace, which was once the official venue of gatherings for the kings and their nobles, has been converted into a museum by the Government of Kerala in 2005 and is managed by the Arakkal Family Trust.

This museum is a true testimony to the impeccable Muslim architecture and design. The palace complex called Kettu is an interconnected long block around a large open ground used for offering prayers or namaz. Built predominantly of laterite and wood exhibiting traits of local .....

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#2 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 2 km from Kannur Railway Station, St. Angelos Fort is an ancient fort situated in the Kannur Cantonment area. Maintained by ASI, it is one of the historical forts in Kerala, and among the must include places in Kannur holiday packages.

Also known as Kannur Fort, Fort St. Angelos was built by the first Portuguese Viceroy of India, Dom Francisco De Almeida in 1505 AD. The fort provided naval supplies for the Portuguese conquest of Goa and the Portuguese conquest of Malacca. The Dutch captured the fort from the Portuguese in 1663 AD. They modernized the fort and built the bastions Hollandia, Zeelandia, and Frieslandia that are the major features of the present structure. The Dutch sold the fort to king Ali Raja of Arakkal in 1772 AD. In 1790, the British seized it and used it as their chief military station in Malabar until 1947.

St. Angelos Fort is mainly famous .....

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#3 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 2 km from Kannur Railway Station, Payyambalam Beach is a serene beach on the Arabian Sea coast in Kannur, Kerala. It is one of the popular Kerala beaches,and among the best places to visit in Kannur.

Payyambalam Beach is a 3-4 km long stretch of golden sand frilled by coconut greenery. The unspoiled Payyambalam Beach has an incredibly peaceful and inviting aura. The approach to the beach is through a small crossover bridge that is built over a narrow canal. To the right of the bridge are the memorials of Kannur's important political personalities that had passed away over the recent decades.

There is a well-maintained garden adjacent to the beach where people can spend their evening by watching the beauty of the roaring ocean. One of the prime attractions of this beach garden is the sculpture of Mother and Child by the famous sculptor, Kanayi .....

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#4 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 11 km from Thalassery, and 16 km from Kannur, Muzhappilangad Beach is a drive-in beach situated at Muzhappilangad village in the Kannur district of Kerala. Along the Arabian Sea coast, it is one of the best drive-in beaches in India, and among the must-visit Kannur tourist places.

Extending up to 6 km long, the Muzhappilangad Beach is the longest drive-in beach in Asia and the only drive-in beach in the entire Kerala where tourists can drive up to a length of 4 km that offers an open road with no traffic and a stunning view. It is also featured among the top 6 best beaches for driving in the world in the BBC article for Autos. Muzhappilangad is the only Asian beach featured in the list.

Located between Thalassery and Kannur, the sand of the beach is hard enough which allows vehicles to be driven on it. Driving a car or a bike has to be the .....

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#5 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 20 km from Payyanur, 23 km from Kannur, and 60 km from Bekal, Sri Rajarajeswara Temple is a Hindu temple situated at Taliparamba town in the Kannur district of Kerala. It is one of the historical temples in Kerala, and among the must-visit places during your Kannur tour.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is regarded as one of the 108 ancient Shiva temples in Kerala built by Parashurama. According to the inscription on the structure of the temple tank, the temple and the tank were renovated in 1524 AD by the king named Sathasoma Raja who belonged to Mooshika Vamsa (Kolathiri dynasty). The Shivalingam in the sanctum is considered to be one of the Jyotirlingas and is worshipped here as Rajarajeswara, the Emperor of Emperors, Perumthrikovilappan, Perumchellurappan, or Thampuran.

Taliparamba is regarded as one of the ancient Shakti Peethams as it is believed .....

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#6 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 2 km from Kannur Railway Station, Kannur Lighthouse is a lighthouse situated near Payyambalam Beach in Kannur town of Kerala. Adjacent to the Sea View Park and the Government Guest House, it is the fourth largest lighthouse in Kerala and one of the popular Kannur Tourist Places.

Also known as Cannanore Lighthouse, the lighthouse is still active and overlooks the Arabian Sea. In 1843, the British introduced a system of hoisting a lantern with an oil wick lamp in order to warn ships. A masonry pedestal was constructed in 1903 on the rampart of Kannur fort and placed a double wick oil lamp inside the 4th order dioptric lens and lantern on this pedestal. The light was made available during fair seasons only, from September to May every year. In 1939, the light was shifted on to a 16-metre steel trestle erected on the northern bastion of the fort. In 1948, the system was replaced by a flashing light which uses Dissolved Acetylene gas as fuel. This light was functional .....

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#7 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 11 km from Payyanur, 12 km from Kottappuram, 30 km from Bekal, 47 km from Kannur, and 49 km from Kasaragod, Valiyaparamba is a coastal island in the Kasaragod district of Kerala. It is one of the most picturesque destinations of Kerala backwaters, and among the prime places to visit near Kannur.

The island of Valiyaparamba is a long strip of land between the Kavvayi Backwaters and the Arabian Sea. This inhabited island is approximately 16 sq. km in size. Valiyaparamba Backwaters are fed by four rivers and the entire region is famous for a cluster of picturesque little islands. Though not popular as Alappuzha Backwaters, Valiyaparamba Backwaters are the largest backwaters in North Kerala and the third-largest backwaters in Kerala. A National Waterway passes through the island.

Blessed with lush green flora and picture-perfect sparkling .....

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#8 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 22 km from Kannur, Thalassery Fort is a historical fort situated at Thalassery town in Kannur district of Kerala. Maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, it is one of the historical monuments in Kerala and among the must visit places as part of Kannur Packages.

Stands on a rocky cliff, right on the Thalasseri Beach, Thalassery Fort is a formidable historical monument established by the British as a testimony to the might of the imperial rulers. The East India Company authorities came to Thalassery in 1683 and opened a factory here to store spices and other items for trades. In order to safe guard their trade activities they build a fort around the factory on a small hill called Tiruvellapadkunnu in 1700 CE with the support of the Kolathiri Raja and was strengthened in 1708. The fort became a strategic center for the British military activities from 1776 AD to 1784 AD. The fort was used against the rebellion of Pazhassi Raja by Lord Wellesley. In 1781 CE, .....

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#9 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 3 km from Nileswaram, 38 km from Kasaragod and 58 km from Kannur, Kottappuram is a serene backwater destination situated in Kasaragod district of Kerala. It is one of the popular Kerala backwater destinations and among the must visit places in Kerala as part of Kannur Tour.

Being part of 'Valiyaparamba Backwaters', Kottappuram backwaters is a large body of scenic backwaters fed by four rivers. The River Tejaswini is one among them and a houseboat cruise through its waters with views of areca nut groves and coconut palms is a pure delight. It is different from other South Kerala backwater attractions regarding commercialization, sights, livelihood and houseboat culture.

Endowed with mangroves, backwaters, wildlife, coconut groves and a flourishing village life, Kottappuram draws large numbers of visitors. A trip to Kottappuram and a houseboat journey through the backwaters will redefine the flavours of the land. There are small boats modelled on the shikaras .....

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#10 of 12 Places to Visit in Kannur

At a distance of 17 km from Kannur, the Parassinikkadavu Snake Park is located at Parassinikkadavu village in the Kannur district of Kerala India. It is regarded as one of the finest snake sanctuaries of Asia and among the must visit places in Kerala as part of Kannur Tour Packages.

Parassinikkadavu Snake Park is the only snake park in Kerala and one of the most prominent reptile preservation centers in India. The park was established by the Visha Chikista Kendra, a medical institution that offers diagnosis and treatment for snakebites. The main motto of this park is to educate the common man about these species and create the right awareness among them. Visiting this park is an absolute treat for the wildlife enthusiasts and animal lovers.

The park houses more than 100 varieties of venomous and non-venomous snakes including king cobra, spectacled cobra, Russell's viper, pythons, krait and pit viper. There are three snake pits, fifteen glass cases for snakes and two large glass .....

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Top 3 Kannur Tour Packages

Package Duration Starting Price Details
Coorg & Kannur in 4 Days 4D/3N ₹ 12450 View Details
Coorg & Kannur with Mangalore in 5 Days 5D/4N ₹ 14500 View Details
Mysore, Coorg & Kannur in 6 Days 6D/5N ₹ 17500 View Details