By road
~16 km from Kasaragod
South India · Kerala
Bekal, Kerala
A great laterite sea fort on Kerala's northern coast · ~16 km from Kasaragod
Getting there
By rail
Kanhangad, ~12km
By air
Mangaluru International (IXE), ~65km
Best time to visit
October to March — dry, sunny days
Don't miss
Bekal Fort
Bekal beach
The Valiyaparamba backwaters
Chandragiri Fort
Things to do
Walking the fort's ramparts
Beach evenings
Houseboat days on the backwaters
Theyyam rituals in season
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Vinayaraj · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Light cottons, sunscreen, a hat
A quieter corner
The Valiyaparamba backwaters, quieter than Alleppey's
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Bekal?
October to March — dry, sunny days. What to pack: Light cottons, sunscreen, a hat.
How do I get to Bekal?
The nearest airport is Mangaluru International (IXE), ~65km. The nearest railway station is Kanhangad, ~12km.
What is there to do in Bekal?
Walking the fort's ramparts, beach evenings, houseboat days on the backwaters, Theyyam rituals in season. A quieter find: The Valiyaparamba backwaters, quieter than Alleppey's.
What should I eat in Bekal?
Malabar biryani, mussels fry and Kerala fish curry.
About Bekal
- Coastal
Where it is
Bekal is a coastal village in the Kasaragod district of Kerala, India, on the far north of the state's coast, where a large laterite fort stands on a headland above the Arabian Sea.
History
Bekal Fort was built in the mid-17th century by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi, and later passed to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore before coming under the British East India Company at the end of the 18th century.
People
Bekal's people speak Malayalam, with Tulu and Kannada also heard this close to Karnataka, and the region is known for Theyyam, a ritual art in which performers are believed to embody deities.
Known for
- Bekal Fort on its headland
- Long, quiet beaches
- The Valiyaparamba backwaters
- Theyyam ritual performances
Did you know?
Bekal Fort is one of the largest forts in Kerala, its walls rising straight from the rocks above the sea.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.