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Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach (3.8 Kms length)[1] is a beach on the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in southwestern India. It is considered as the longest drive-in beach in Asia[2] and is featured among the top 6 best beaches for driving in the world in BBC article for Autos.[3][4]

Muzhappilangad Beach
Beach
Muzhappilangad Beach
Muzhappilangad Beach Show map of Kerala Muzhappilangad Beach Show map of India
Coordinates: 11°47′46.3596″N 75°26′31.308″E
Location	Muzhappilangad, Kannur, India
Dimensions
• Length	3.8 km
Patrolled by	Lifeguards
Hazard rating	Low

Overview

The Muzhapiilangad beach is located parallel to National Highway 66 (formerly National Highway 17) between Kannur and Thalassery.[5]

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 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, 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 (Pacha Thuruthu in Malayalam, which translates to Green Island in English). It is possible to walk to the island during low tide from the nearby Dharmadam 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.[6] More than thirty species of migratory birds visit here in the winter. Among them Pectoral sandpiper and Caspian plover, sighted here in 2013 were reported for the first time in Kerala.[7] Long, broad shore and rocky formations on the either side of the beach provide a safe place for migration.

Species

Source:[8]

• Asian Openbill
• Black kite
• Black-winged Stilt
• Brahminy kite
• Common Greenshank
• Common Redshank
• Egrets
• Eurasian Curlew
• Eurasian Oystercatcher
• Eurasian whimbrel
• Gulls
• Little Stint
• Plovers
• Ruddy Turnstone
• Ruff
• Sanderling
• Sandpipers
• Terns
• White bellied sea eagle

Accessibility

Nearest airports:

• Kannur International Airport: 27 km (17 mi)
• Karipur International Airport: 106 km (66 mi)

Nearest towns/railway stations:

• Edakkad Railway Station: 2 km (1.2 mi)
• Thalassery: 7 km (4.3 mi)
• Kannur: 15 km (9.3 mi)
• Mangalore railway station: 151 km (94 mi)

By road:

On National Highway 66 the beach is situated between Kannur town and Thalassery town. There are five village connection roads from the National Highway towards the beach.

Image gallery

• 
  Car at the beach
• 
  Beach Festival
• 
  Beach Festival
• 
  Sunset at Muzhappilangad Beach
• 
  Para gliding at Muzhappilangad Beach
• 
  Muzhappilangad beach
• 
  Beach
• 
  Beach
• 
  Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach
• 
  Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach
• 
  Dharmadam Island
• 
  Beach
• 
  Muzhappilangad Beach
• 
  Behind the Beach
• 
  Rock formation at the north of the beach
• 
  Rock formation at the north of the beach
• 
• 
• 

See also

• Bekal beach
• Kappad beach
• Kozhikode Beach
• Muzhappilangad
• Thalassery
• Dharmadam
• Dharmadam Island
• Kannur

References

External links

• Riding on Muzhappilangad drive in beach—YouTube video

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