PAYYAMBALAM BEACH GARDEN (2km) One of the major tourist destinations in Kannur.  The beach garden has an interesting statue of Mother and Child done by Kanai Kunhiraman, one of the leading sculptures in Kerala. There are many activities like amusement rides, kids park, camel and horse rides etc. Payyambalam beach appeared in several South Indian feature films. The Tamil movie Alai Payude, directed by Mani Ratnam, Worldspace ad by A.R.Rahman, and many more have scenes filmed here.

FORT ST. ANGELO (4km) Fort St. Angelo is constructed in 1505 by Dom Francisco De Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy. This fort is situated in the western region of Kannur town. It is popularly known as the Kannur Fort and Kannur Kotta. This triangular shaped fort lies in the Cantonment region facing the Arabian Sea.  According to history, this fort was captured by Dutch rulers in 1663. Later in 1772, Ali Raja of Kannur bought this fort from the Dutch. Various attractions of this fort like the Zeelandia, Frieslandia and Hollandia were built by the Dutch rulers. Under the British rule, this fort was renovated and later used as the British station in Malabar. This fort houses various cells, each one of which has a single hole that was used for giving food to the prisoners. A grave stone that belongs to the family of a Dutch commander can be seen within the fort. This fort also has a stable and a chapel. This historical site is presently managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.

MAPPILA BAY (4km) Mappila Bay (or Moppila Bay) is a natural harbor situated in Ayikkara Kannur town, Kerala state of South India. On one side of the bay is Fort St. Angelo, built by the Portuguese in the 15th century and the other side is the Arakkal Palace. The bay was famous during the Kolathiri's regime as a commercial harbor that linked Kolathunadu with Lakshadweep and foreign countries, in imports.

ARAKKAL MUSEUM (4km) Arrakkal Museum is a museum dedicated to the Arakkal family, the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, South India. The museum is actually a section of the Arakkalkettu (Arakkal Royal Palace). The durbar hall section of the palace has been converted into a museum by the Government of Kerala. Although renovated by the government, the Arakkalkettu is still owned by the Arakkal Royal Trust and does not fall under the control of the country's archaeology department, the Archaeological Survey of India. The government had taken a keen interest in preserving the heritage of the Arakkal Family, which had played a prominent role in the history of Malabar.

SUNDARESWARA TEMPLE (5km) Sundareswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, was established by Sri Narayana Guru in 1916. The main celebration of this temple occurs on Malayalam month Meenam (eight day long festival, celebrated between March and April, every year). Marriage is conducted in the Mandapam before the photo of Narayana Guru instead of the main deity. This temple is the heart of all Kannur citizens.

KERALA FOLKLORE ACADEMY   (10km) A visit to the Folklore Academy gives one an insight into the artistic heritage of Kerala. The museum preserves costumes, headgear and other paraphernalia and hundreds of other objects related to the folk arts. These include life-size models of performers of the ritualistic temple dances like Theyyam and Patayani, tribal musical and percussion instruments, farm implements, weapons, photographs of various art forms. The Academy also gives information about the martial art form of Kalaripayattu, the dance forms of Marathukali and Poorakkali, ballads like Vadakkanpattu and Vedanpattu and so on.  Folk plays like Godavari, mural paintings called Todikkalam and Muslim art forms like Oppana and Arabana are well represented here. Objects used in other ritual arts like Kuthurathib, Devakoothu, Kaliyootu, Mudiyettu etc too are on display. The Academy also promotes learning and research on folk arts like Chavittu natakam, Garudan thullal etc. The library, a knowledge hub of folk arts, is frequented by researchers, scholars and connoisseurs of the traditional arts of Kerala.

PARASSINIKKADAVU SNAKE PARK (12km) The park houses a variety of snakes and other small animals, including the Spectacled Cobra, King Cobra, Russell's viper, Krait and various pit vipers. There is also a large collection of non-venomous snakes including pythons. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, many species of which are gradually becoming extinct. In a live show, trained personnel play and 'interact' with a variety of snakes, including cobras and vipers, and try to quell mythical fears and superstitions about snakes.[citation needed] It has also been proposed that a laboratory to extract venom from snakes for purposes of research be set up here. The latest addition to the park is, ANACONDA

PARASSINIKKADAVU MUTHAPPAN TEMPLE (12km) Muthappan Temple is situated on the shores of Valapattanam River. Lord Muthappan, one of the forms of Lord Vishnu, is the presiding deity of this temple.

VISMAYA WATER THEME PARK (12km) Situated near to the Parasinikadavu Temple the park is the best in Malabar. It has many dry rides, water rides, thrill rides etc. Few attractions are Striking Car, Break Dance, Sky Train, Laser Show, Basket Ball, Air Hockey, Mirror Maze, Horror Cave, 4D Theatre, Chilling Train, Playing Pool, Rain Dance, Play Pools, Pendulum, Aquatrial, Water Fall, Water Gun, Multy Slides, Water Rainbow, Flower Fountain, Wave Pool, Family Pool, Doom Slide, Crazy River, Giant Wheel, Water Splash, Bull Fight, Aqua Trail, Baby Train, Free fall, Jumping Frog, Merry Go Round, Space Shuttle, Play Area, Doom Bike, Camel Ride

MUZHAPPILANGAD DRIVE-IN BEACH   (15km) Muzhappilangad Beach, located around 15 km away from Kannur, is the only drive-in beach in Kerala where tourists can drive up to a length of 4 km which makes it unique from all other beaches.

DHARMADAM ISLAND (15km)
The Green Island near this beach is frequently visited by tourists. Visiting this island would be just an experience of the true beauty of untouched nature. This island can be seen from the nearby Muzhappilangad Beach.

VELLIKKEEL ECO-PARK (18km) is a tourist place that is open to people to enjoy the flora and fauna of Vellikkeel. Located near Kannur, it is a nature lover's delight. This eco-tourism is an ideal destination for one-day trips or getaways from the city. This is a beautiful unexplored mangrove where you have a lot of activities to enjoy. One can do boating in the serene lake of Vellikkeel or have peaceful nature walks by the lake. The surrounding greenery and mountains will refresh your senses. There is even a food court where you can sit and enjoy your meals. The large food court is famous for its multi-cuisine menu. You can enjoy South Indian, Chinese, Continental, etc at the food court. This is an all in all an amazing place to enjoy your holiday

RAJARAJESHWARA TEMPLE (20km) The temple is a beautiful Shiva temple located at Taliparamba. The temple is regarded as one of the 108 ancient Shiva temples of Kerala. It has a prominent place amongst the numerous Shiva temples in south India.

GUNDERT BUNGALOW  (22km) Gundert Bungalow served as the residence of a famous German scholar and missionary, Dr. Herman Gundert. He compiled a Malayalam grammar book, Malayalabhaasha Vyakaranam (1859), in which he developed and constricted the grammar spoken by the Keralites.  He also wrote the Malayalam-English Dictionary. It is also the place where the first Malayalam newspaper was published. Built in the shape of a watchtower, this building is famous for its architectural work. This historical building was once used by the Judicial Magistrate Thomas.

MADAYIPARA ( 25km) Madayipara is well known for its rich diversity of plants. The aquatic and semi-aquatic plants form extensive carpets of blue, pink, white and yellow during the monsoon season. The area is notable for the presence of some of the rarest plants of the world such as Nymphoides krishankesara, Rotala malabarica, etc. The region is home to around 300 flowering plants and about 30 types of grass and several insect-eating plant species. Several medicinal herbs can also be seen in this region. Madayipara sustains about 100 species of butterflies and about 150 species of birds. Among the biggest butterflies in the world, the Atlas butterfly is a visitor to Madayipara.

PAZHASSI DAM  (30km) The Pazhassi Dam, built across the Valapattanam River, is named after King Pazhassi Raja, a local warrior. The dam is constructed across the west flowing Valapattanam River.  The Children's Park, Sculpture of Pazhassi King and Buddha's Mountain are some of the popular attractions located near the dam. Pleasure boating facilities is available near the reservoir.

SARGAALAYA ARTS AND CRAFTS VILLAGE (50km) Sargaalaya, the Kerala Arts & Crafts village set up on 20 acres of land is a craft cluster that was conceptualized as a tourism destination, developed and implemented on the Responsible Tourism model. It is an initiative to put Kerala's traditional handicrafts on the tourism trail. Sargaalaya focuses on creating a tourist destination, cantered on hands-on interaction between tourists and artisans, who create, display and market their crafts on site. The strategy being, to make Kerala's traditional crafts an integral part of the tourism experience while also providing sustainable development for the artisans economically.

PALAKKAYAM THATTU (53km) is a hill station near Naduvil Village in the Western Ghats. Located 3500 ft above sea level, is undoubtedly one of the picturesque places in Kerala. A distance of 53 km from Kannur, the journey through the hill and scenic valleys will be a trilling and exciting one. 'Palakkayam Thattu' welcomes its visitors with its beauty and pleasant climate along with the exquisite range of flora and fauna.

EZHIMALA (55km) Ezhimala hill station is one of the top hill stations in Kannur. The seven peaks at Ezhimala hill station is believed to be fallen off from the mountain while Lord Hanuman was carrying it over Ezhimala. Thus the people believe that these peaks to have those precious ayurvedic herbs. The hill that protrudes into the Arabian Sea, green valley’s abutting with the beach, winding roads, etc. will capture your mind for a long time.

PYTHALMALA  (65km) Pythal Mala is a famous hill station located 4500 ft above sea level is the highest geographic peak in Kannur It is located at 40 km from Taliparamba and 65 km from Kannur. It’s a favourite spot for the nature enthusiasts, photographers, trekkers and leisurely visitors. This region has varied species of flora and fauna, The ruins of the Palace of Vaithalkon, who was a tribal king, can be seen from this hill station. Other attractions of this hill station are waterfalls and the village of Kappimala. Kudiyanmala village, located around 6 km from Pythal Mala, can also be visited. water and snacks need to be carried.

KANJIRAKKOLLY WATER FALL (68km) The main attraction in the Kanjirakkolly is Alakapuri Waterfalls and which contains 3 phases.  First phase is known as Elappara Waterfalls; Second phase is the famous one and is also known as Alakapuri Waterfalls. The third phase contains the biggest water fall in the monsoon season. The water falls located between the foot hills of Western Ghats, bordering the Coorg area of Karnataka Evergreen Forests. The second stage of the water falls contains seven stages of shelves of rock. On the both sides of the water fall, hard Rocks look like Salamanders of the forest. The surrounding area of the falls filled with "Kurinji" and which blossomed it in every 8 years of the era.

ARALAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (70km) Tropical forests of Aralam Sanctuary support diverse plant and animal life. About 23 species of mammals spotted here include Sloth Bear, Mouse Deer, Elephant, Sambar, Barking Deer, Wild Boar and Gaur. Leopards, Tigers and other Wild Cats are also present though they are hard to be sighted on a typical sanctuary visit. There is some chance that you may stumble upon something interesting as Malabar Giant Squirrel or Flying Squirrel. These rare species and other types of squirrels have made this sanctuary their home. There are 22 species of reptiles including the deadly King Cobra, to make your visit to Aralam a bit exciting. Bird enthusiasts love Aralam WLS because of the 188 types of birds found here including scores of endemic and endangered species. Those attract our attention include Great Pied Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Blue Winged Parakeet, Ceylon Frogmouth, Broad Billed Roller and Nilgiri Wood Pigeon. Flying around displaying a touch of beauty are 144 species of butterflies.

PALUKACHIMALA (74km) For pilgrims, this place embodies the power and divinity of Shiva and Parvathi. For nature lovers and trekkers, it is a must-see spot. The three hills bowed before Parvathi and narrowed themselves as just stones so that she could make a fireplace out of it. The tress too emulated the hillocks and offered their branches as firewood. Parvathi filled a utensil with milk and set it over the fireplace to boil. Beside her sat her husband Lord Shiva. As Shiva let his dreadlock down, the moonlight reflected on the river and stars gazed down. Against the background set by nature, Shiva and Parvathi began their honeymoon. The milk boiled and started spilling over. But, the couple mesmerized by the magnificence of the night had little idea of it. The spilled milk started flowing down the hillocks. Amidst this, the stones again turned into hill. The hill where the boiled milk spilled and flowed thus got the name Palukachimala, according to the myths.

BEKAL FORT (80km) Shaped like a giant keyhole, the historic Bekal Fort offers a superb view of the Arabian Sea from its tall observation towers, which were occupied by huge cannons, couple of centuries ago. Bekal served as an important military station of Tipu Sultan when he led the great military expedition to capture Malabar. The coins and other artefacts unearthed by the archaeological excavation conducted recently at Bekal fort is a manife-station of the strong presence of the Mysore Sulthans. The death of Tipu Sultan in Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 saw the end of Mysorean control and subsequently the fort came under the British East India Company. Its solid construction resembles the St. Angelo Fort at Kannur built by the Dutch and also the Thalassery Fort.