Kannur --7 must visit places in Kannur

   Sometimes the best surprises come from the most unexpected places.A visit to Kannur ,the northern district of Kerala was just that.However when we mentioned about our upcoming visit to one of our friends who happened to be a native of Kannur ,we met with a lot of surprise.He gave us a look saying why on earth should we visit Kannur of all places. It was the  end of the year.  All other places were already full and our homestay was already booked ,so we decided to stick to our plans and face it!!
It was a beautiful drive to the place and I would not talk about it anymore here.

I have already posted a blogpost on it. Read here....The drive to Kannur

The first afternoon we decided to stay at the homestay and relax since it had been a long drive.

Read here about the homestay....Amban Heritage

The Chera Beach

Day 1-
We drove to Chera beach about 7 kms from our homestay early in the morning.It is a gem of a place .I would say anyone visiting Kannur must visit this beach. We had a very good time watching the fishermen returning with their catch.The cool caressing morning breeze and the uncrowded stretch of sand bordered by the blue waters lent an amazing view. Read here..The Chera Beach

Do like my Facebook page for more interesting posts and itineraries

The Thalaserry Fort

About the time when the Dutch and the Portuguese were establishing their stronghold over India ,Kannur was a hub of political activity..The Dutch .the Portuguese then the British and even the Arabs left behind marks that add to the sheen of this coastal district even today.The Thalaserry fort located in the twin town of Thalaserry is one such monument.Though its counterpart in Kannur the St Angelo's fort is located in a much picturesque location and is also bigger in size,this fort was no less in importance in the British Era.

   The fort houses government offices now and has some seating areas designed along the walls of the fort to enjoy the views of the sea .The place did not seem to get the kind of importance it deserved.There were many structures which were only partly standing today,I could figure out the watch tower at one corner of the fort ,and somehow located  the entrance of a tunnel on enquiring the local people who were casual visitors of the place.I was told that the tunnel connected Thalaserry Fort to The St .Angelo's Fort--fascinating isn't it? I missed a knowledgeable guide terribly as I felt little explanations would have added life to the place.This place is undoubtedly for history lovers or for people like me who are especially passionate about forts .
Anyways,when in Thallasery do not forget to taste the Thallassery Biriyani(for biriyani lovers of course).The Thalaserry Fort was about 20 kilometers from Mathanoor (the place where our homestay was located.





The drive in beach
I had absolutely no idea as to what a drive in beach means.Okay,let the pics do the job first today.

We were there at sunset ,so enjoyed the pleasure of two things together.First a drive on the beach for a long stretch of nearly a couple of kilometers,and then a sunset over the Arabian sea.After the beautiful sunset and a drive along the coast of Kannur with patches of mangroves growing,we were contented and did not mind calling it a day.

Day2
St Angelo's Fort

The St Angelos fort was our next attractive destination.It is located in a very scenic location along the coast .The forts in Kannur are all positioned near the sea.The forts were built primarily to take care of the ongoing spice trade.What started with a pretext of spice trade slowly changed hands from the Portuguese ,to the Dutch ,to the local Arrakal rulers and finally the British who converted it to the most prominent military station in North Malabar.
Definitely a place to be included in the must visit list of anyone visiting Kannur if not for anything else the beautiful views from the fort is not something that can be missed.
Read here..St Angelo's Fort

A view of the sea from the walls of the fort

The walk way along the coast and the light house

This is one thing that I can vouch for! The light house and the walk way are very close.There are entry tickets for the light house.It is also commonly called the Kannur light house.This light house is still in use,the only difference being it is now lighted using electricity unlike in the olden days ,when it was lit using an oil wick.When lighted at night it can be seen from a very big distance.
The walkway is generally preferred as a sunset point,with places to sit and spend some time beside the waves splashing the rugged coastline.We could be there only at noon,nevertheless a very pleasant experience.

The Payambalam beach

Kannur has a host of beautiful scenic beaches.We could go only to three of them. The Payambalam beach is close to St Angelo's Fort.It is a great place to get wet in the sea waters.The waves are not very high ,but one can spend some good time playing with the waves in this clean stretch of sand.

The Payambalam Beach

Parassini Kadavu temple

And at last,the place you must visit in Kannur is the Parassini Kadavu temple,to experience theyyam._Theyyam is the ritual folk dance of north Malabar.
Read an interesting blogpost about Theyyam here.....Theyyam by the river Valapattanam.