For the people of Kozhikode, this pleasant stretch of rock studded beach is Kappakkadavu. To the tourist, it is one of Kerala's most charming beaches. Kappad finds a mention in history and geography texts as the gateway to the Malabar Coast. One hundred and seventy men led by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama (14601524) sailed in here in 1498 and stepped into Kerala to create a new chapter in history. The story of a long and tumultuous sociopolitical relationship between India and Europe. It was the spices and wealth of Malabar that first brought the Arabs, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English to Kerala. Kappad has witnessed many such landings. Kozhikode was then the most important trade centre of the Malabar region and the Zamorins who ruled this mighty land were powerful and shrewd. Though the Portuguese were welcomed in Kozhikode, they were not too well encouraged or entertained for long by the Zamorins, which might be the reason they shifted their base to Kochi and Kollam down south. Today, only a little stone monument is left at the Kappad beach to speak of its great historic importance. On the rocks nearby is a temple believed to be 800 years old. To the tourist, however, this little sea faring town is a haven. The best route to Kappad is along the backwaters. Unspoilt and uncrowded, the picturesque backwaters of Kozhikode offer a bewitching experience. A ride down the backwaters through the Korappuzha River brings you to the beach.
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