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Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach (3.8 Kms length) is a beach on the
Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing m ...
in the state of
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
in southwestern
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is considered as the longest drive-in beach in Asia and is featured among the top 6 best beaches for driving in the world in
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article for Autos.


Overview

The Muzhapiilangad beach is located parallel to
National Highway 66 The following highways are numbered 66: Australia * Barkly Highway (Northern Territory) * Riddoch Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 66 * Highway 66 (Ontario) Finland * Kantatie 66 (Orivesi — Lapua) France * A66 autoroute Germany * Bundesa ...
(formerly National Highway 17) between
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
and
Thalassery Thalassery (), formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality, Commercial City on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karna ...
. The beach festival is celebrated in the month of April and it is one of the important tourist attraction in the district of Kannur in Kerala. The youth also try many driving stunts in cars like drifting and wheeling in bikes as this is a paradise for driving along the shore. There is an unpaved road winding through
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
groves leading to the beach. To get to this road, if you are driving from Tellicherry towards Kannur, take the left turn just before the railway over bridge (first railway crossing) you encounter after crossing the Moidu bridge. The beach is about 3.8 kms long and curves in a wide area providing a good view of Kannur on the north. Local laws allow beachgoers to drive for a full 3.4 kms directly on the sands of the beach. The beach is bordered by black rocks, which also protect it from the stronger currents of the ocean. These rocks provide habitat for
Blue mussel The blue mussel (''Mytilus edulis''), also known as the common mussel, is a medium-sized edible marine (ocean), marine bivalve mollusc in the family (biology), family Mytilidae, the mussels. Blue mussels are subject to commercial use and intensiv ...
, a delicious seafood. Beach attracts bird-watchers from far off places as hundreds of birds flock here during various seasons. Approximately 100–200 m south of the beach there is a private island called
Dharmadam Island Dharmadam Island (Green Island) is a small 2-hectare private island in Thalassery, Kannur District, Kerala. It lies about 100 metres from the mainland at Dharmadam. See also * Muzhappilangad * Muzhappilangad beach Muzhappilangad Drive-i ...
(Pacha Thuruthu in Malayalam, which translates to Green Island in English). It is possible to walk to the island during
low tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables can ...
from the nearby
Dharmadam Dharmadom or Dharmadam is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. This town is located in between Anjarakandi River and Ummanchira river, and Palayad town and Arabian sea. It is known for the 100-year ...
beach.


Tourism

Since the late 1990s, the beach has seen a steady influx of European tourists during winter. A major share of foreign and domestic tourists are not aware of the potential of this elusive destination. It is a must see destination for Indians as well as foreign tourists. After the face lift of the beach there has been a huge improvement in the facilities available to the beach visitors including resorts, roads, etc. The beach is wide and the sand is firm enough to support smooth driving.


Bird watching hotspot

Despite a tourist destination the beach is a bird watching hotspot too. More than thirty species of migratory birds visit here in the
winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...
. Among them
Pectoral sandpiper The pectoral sandpiper (''Calidris melanotos'') is a small, migratory wader that breeds in North America and Asia, wintering in South America and Oceania. It eats small invertebrates. Its nest, a hole scraped in the ground and with a thick linin ...
and
Caspian plover The Caspian plover (''Charadrius asiaticus'') is a wader in the plover family of birds. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek ''kharadrios'' ...
, sighted here in 2013 were reported for the first time in
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. Long, broad shore and rocky formations on the either side of the beach provide a safe place for migration.


Species

Source:''Birds of Kerala: Status and Distribution''; ; DC Books, Kerala, 2001 *
Asian Openbill The Asian openbill or Asian openbill stork (''Anastomus oscitans'') is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. This distinctive stork is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is greyish or white with glossy ...
*
Black kite The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...
*
Black-winged Stilt The black-winged stilt (''Himantopus himantopus'') is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae). The scientific name ''H. himantopus'' is sometimes applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan speci ...
*
Brahminy kite The brahminy kite (''Haliastur indus''), formerly known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. ...
*
Common Greenshank The common greenshank (''Tringa nebularia'') is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'' ...
*
Common Redshank The common redshank or simply redshank (''Tringa totanus'') is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae. Taxonomy The common redshank was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ...
*
Egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...
s *
Eurasian Curlew The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred t ...
*
Eurasian Oystercatcher The Eurasian oystercatcher (''Haematopus ostralegus'') also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or palaearctic oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It is the most widesp ...
* Eurasian whimbrel *
Gulls Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, m ...
*
Little Stint The little stint (''Calidris minuta'' or ''Erolia minuta''), is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America a ...
*
Plover Plovers ( , ) are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. Description There are about 66 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfa ...
s *
Ruddy Turnstone The ruddy turnstone (''Arenaria interpres'') is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus ''Arenaria''. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plov ...
*
Ruff Ruff may refer to: Places *Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community *Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community Other uses *Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader fami ...
*
Sanderling The sanderling (''Calidris alba'') is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English ''sand-yrðling'', "sand-ploughman". The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colou ...
*
Sandpiper Sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders. They include many species called sandpipers, as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. ...
s *
Tern Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...
s *
White bellied sea eagle The white-bellied sea eagle (''Haliaeetus leucogaster''), also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related ...


Accessibility

Nearest airports: *
Kannur International Airport Kannur International Airport is an airport serving the North Malabar region of Kerala, Kodagu and Mysore districts of Karnataka and Mahé district of Puducherry in India. It is located east of Kannur, and east of Thalassery, near the municip ...
: *
Karipur International Airport Calicut International Airport , also known as Kozhikode Airport or Karipur Airport, is an international airport located in Karipur, Malappuram district of Kerala, India. It serves the Malabar region of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Palak ...
: Nearest towns/railway stations: * Edakkad Railway Station: *
Thalassery Thalassery (), formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality, Commercial City on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karna ...
: *
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
: *
Mangalore railway station Mangalore is a closed station located in the township of Mangalore, at the junction of the North East and Goulburn Valley railway lines in Victoria, Australia. The station was one of 35 closed to passenger traffic on 4 October 1981 as part ...
: By road: On National Highway 66 the beach is situated between
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
town and
Thalassery Thalassery (), formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality, Commercial City on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karna ...
town. There are five village connection roads from the National Highway towards the beach.


Image gallery

File:മുഴപ്പിലങ്ങാട് കടപ്പുറം.JPG, Car at the beach File:Muzhipilangad beach festival.JPG, Beach Festival File:Muzhapilangad beach.JPG, Beach Festival File:Muzhappilangad Beach 2.jpg, Sunset at Muzhappilangad Beach File:Muzhappilangad Beach13.jpg, Para gliding at Muzhappilangad Beach File:Muzhappilangad beach6.jpg, Muzhappilangad beach File:Muzhapilangad-Beach.jpg, Beach File:Muzhuppilangad beach.jpg, Beach File:മുഴപ്പിലങ്ങാട് കടപ്പുറത്തെ ബൈക്ക് സഞ്ചാരികൾ.JPG, Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach File:മുഴപ്പിലങ്ങാട് ഡ്രൈവിംഗ് ബീച്ച്.jpg, Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach File:Dharmdam thuruth.jpg,
Dharmadam Island Dharmadam Island (Green Island) is a small 2-hectare private island in Thalassery, Kannur District, Kerala. It lies about 100 metres from the mainland at Dharmadam. See also * Muzhappilangad * Muzhappilangad beach Muzhappilangad Drive-i ...
File:Muzhappilangad beach (14).JPG, Beach File:Muzhappilangad Beach001.jpg, Muzhappilangad Beach File:Muzhappilangad beach (12).JPG, Behind the Beach File:Rocks t Muzhappilangad Beach.jpg, Rock formation at the north of the beach File:Rocks at Muzhappilangad beach.jpg, Rock formation at the north of the beach File:Muzhappilangad beach(Edited).jpg, File:Muzhappilangad Beach020.jpg File:Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach.jpg


See also

* Bekal beach * Kappad beach *
Kozhikode Beach Kozhikode Beach or Calicut Beach is a beach on the western side of Kozhikode, situated on the Malabar Coast of India. The beach is accessible through four road overbridges in the city. The beach has paved stones and illumination. There is o ...
*
Muzhappilangad Muzhappilangad (മുഴപ്പിലങ്ങാട്) is a coastal census town near Thalassery in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. History The Kolathunadu emerged into independent 10 principalities i.e., Kadathanadu (Vada ...
*
Thalassery Thalassery (), formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality, Commercial City on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karna ...
*
Dharmadam Dharmadom or Dharmadam is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. This town is located in between Anjarakandi River and Ummanchira river, and Palayad town and Arabian sea. It is known for the 100-year ...
*
Dharmadam Island Dharmadam Island (Green Island) is a small 2-hectare private island in Thalassery, Kannur District, Kerala. It lies about 100 metres from the mainland at Dharmadam. See also * Muzhappilangad * Muzhappilangad beach Muzhappilangad Drive-i ...
*
Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...


References


External links


Riding on Muzhappilangad drive in beach
YouTube video {{Tourism in Kerala Beaches of Kerala Tourist attractions in Kannur district Thalassery road, Kannur