Formerly a major spice trading seaport, Kannur is known for its handloom industries and forest ranges. From 15th century AD, various colonial powers like Portuguese, Dutch and British exerted their influence on Kannur. In his book of travels, Marco Polo mentioned his visit to Kannur in 1250AD. Kannur Town is the headquarters of the district. The town has a railhead. The nearest airport is Kozhikode, 93km south. Major roads link Kannur to other centres of the state.

St. Angelo's Fort

The Portuguese built this triangular fort of laterite in 1505 after getting consent of the Kolathiri Rajas. Under the British it became a major military base. They modified laterite fortifications and several buildings in the fort. Now the Indian Army occupies the cantonment area near the fort.

Parassinikadavu Temple

The Muthappan temple is located on the banks of Valapattanam River, 18km northeast of Kannur. Open to all, this is the only place where regular Theyyam is performed daily throughout the year. The timing is usually between 0400hrs to 0900hrs.

Talassery Fort

Talassery is 20km south of Kannur. The British established their settlement in 1683 and completed the fort in 1708. Though abandoned, the old English church on Nettur Hill with stained glass windows is worth visiting.

Parasdsinikadavu Snake Park

The snake park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes those are getting extinct. The park has a collection of over 150 snakes those include cobras, Russel vipers, pit vipers, king cobras, pythons and non-poisonous snakes.

Taliparambu

The Vishnu temple at Taliparambu is an example of medieval Kerala temple architecture. The temple is said to be built in the 10th century. It has stonewalls, murals and woodcraft work for the visitors to see

Kasargod

Kasargod is the northern-most district of Kerala. It is a land of forts, rivers, hills and beaches. The district is known for its coir and handloom industries. Kasargod is the district headquarters. The nearest airport is Mangalore, in Karnataka, 50km away. The town has an important railhead. Roads connect the town to other parts of the state and neighbouring states.

Bakel Fort

Bakel fort is the largest of best-preserved forts in Kerala. 16km south of Kasargod town and on the national highway, the imposing circular laterite fort covers 35 acres of land and stands 130 ft above sea level. The history changed the ownership of the fort from one ruler to another. During the ancient times the Kadambas owned it. Then it came under Kolathiri Rajas. Later it became part of Vijayanagar Empire. During the late 18th century Tipu Sultan captured it. Bekal served as an important military station of Tippu Sulthan when he led the great military expedition to capture Malabar. The coins and other artefacts unearthed by the recent archaeological excavation at Bekal fort indicate the strong presence of the Mysore Sultans. After his death, it became the property of British. During the reign of the Company Bekal become the headquarters of the newly organised Bekal Taluk of South Canara District in Bombay Presidency.

Chandragiri Fort

Sivappa Nayak of Bedanore built this fort in the 17th century. The fort was built in a square shape. It is located 10km from Bakel. The Chandragiri fort, one of a chain of forts built by the same ruler, offers breathtaking view of the meandering Chandragiri river and the Arabian Sea. It is a vantage point to watch the sunset.

Hosdurg Fort

Somasekhara Nayak of Ikkeri dynasty built a chain of forts in Kanjangad. He captured Manjeswaram and Taliparambu and built a fort at Hosdurg known as the new port. It is a main tourist attraction. Hosdurg is also known for Nityanandashram, an internationally renowned spiritual centre.

Ananthapura Lake temple