Kappad Beach

Kappad Beach, a clean beach with safe waters, is located about 16 km from Kozhikode town.

A plaque set on a pillar says that it was here that the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama landed on May 27, 1498, when on his first visit to Kerala. However, many historians believe that though he had anchored his ship here, he landed at the nearby port, Pandalayani Kollam.

The beach, that is popular with tourists, is quiet except for a few hours in the morning, when the fishermen launch their boats at dawn, and in the evening when they return with their catch. Sometimes, you can see them spreading fish on the beach to dry them.

Other interesting sights here include a rocky headland stretching into the sea and a 100-year-old temple.

Nearby tourist areas

The Korappuzha estuary, at Elathur on the way to Kappad, is a little known tourist area. An interesting sight along the river bank is that of village artisans crafting canoes. The area around the nearby Elathur Bridge, which runs across the river, is a centre of shellfish (kallummakkaya) trade. The sheer abundance of shellfish found on the rocks protruding into the sea is amazing.

Read More: Major Tourist Attractions in Calicut