Kannur's town beaches: a coast that never became a resort strip

Kannur is a town with a long military and trading history and a shoreline that it uses rather than sells. The beaches are within walking distance of the centre, they are free, and on a weekday evening they belong to people from the town.

That makes them a different proposition from Kovalam or Varkala. There is no cliff of cafes, no sunbed economy, and very little in the way of tourist infrastructure — which is either the reason to go or the reason not to.

Payyambalam and Baby Beach

Payyambalam is the main town beach: a sweep of sand north of the centre, with a promenade, a garden and the kind of crowd that turns up after work. The sea is the Arabian Sea with a real current, and the rocks at either end are where people sit rather than swim.

Baby Beach sits below the headland near St Angelo Fort, smaller and quieter, with the fort walls above it. The walk between the two, around the headland, is the best short walk in the town and takes about twenty minutes.

The rest of the coast

North of town, the coast runs up to Muzhappilangad, the drive-in beach, and on towards Thalassery. South, the road goes to Dharmadam and the backwaters. None of it is far, and all of it is reachable by bus or auto.

Kannur's other advantage is that it is a base rather than a destination: the theyyam shrines of the district, the handloom workshops, and the forts are all within an hour, and the town has hotels and restaurants that exist for people who live there.

The handloom trade is worth a look while you are here. Kannur has a long history of weaving, and the cooperative shops in and around the town sell cotton and furnishing cloth at prices that reflect the loom rather than the label. Ask whether a piece is handwoven; the answer changes what you should be paying.

Swimming, and the season

These are not lifeguarded swimming beaches in the organised sense, and the current is strong. Wading and sitting on the sand are what people do; if you want to swim, ask locally about the safest stretch and go with others. The rocks at the southern end of Payyambalam are the prettiest place to sit and the worst place to enter the water.

October to March is the season. The monsoon is rough and grey, and the summer is hot and humid. The evenings are the best part of the day in any month, when the light goes and half the town is on the promenade.

The district in brief

Kannur is where north Malabar's ritual theatre, Theyyam, is still performed in village shrines through the winter. The coast has a drive-in beach and a Portuguese-built fort; inland, laterite roads climb through cashew and arecanut country.

Elsewhere in Kannur

Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach. A long, hard-packed beach where you can drive along the water's edge.

Destination in this story

BeachMuzhappilangad Drive-in BeachKannur

St Angelo Fort. A Portuguese-built fort on the Kannur waterfront, later enlarged by the Dutch and British.

Destination in this story

HeritageSt Angelo FortKannur

Theyyam Season, Kannur. North Malabar's living ritual theatre, performed in village shrines through the winter.

Destination in this story

CultureTheyyam Season, KannurKannur

Practical notes

• Go in the evening, when the town uses the beach and the light is best.
• Walk the headland path from Payyambalam to Baby Beach and the fort.
• Do not swim alone; there is a strong current and no lifeguard service.
• Bring cash for snacks; the stalls are small and local.
• Use Kannur as a base for theyyam and the forts, not only for the beach.

Common questions

• Is Payyambalam good for swimming? It is a beach people sit on more than swim from. The current is strong and there is no organised lifeguard service.
• How far is Payyambalam from Kannur town? About 2 km — a short walk or auto ride from the centre.
• Is Kannur worth staying in? Yes, as a base. The forts, the theyyam shrines and Muzhappilangad are all within an hour.