Kavvayi Island, a small island, near Payyannur in the Kannur district of Kerala state is connected with Payyannur by a small bridge on the Kavvayi Pozha, which means the river of Kavvayi. Recently there have been a number of researches done by a number of archaeologists in this river.

Kavvayi Island is one of the most fascinating destinations among the backwaters in Kerala. The backwaters down the south of Kerala; like those in and around Kollam and Alappuzha have their own unique attractions, surroundings and ways of life. Kavvayi Island too has its own unique elements that attract hordes of tourists round the year.

The Kavvayi Island was name by Sir William Hogan the then district Collector of the area which was originally named as Kavvil Pattanam later it turned to be known as Kavvayi. Kavvayi used to be the headquarters for an area of 125 square miles (320 km2) which housed a large port and the magistrate court. Kavvayi held his honor during the British East India Company rule and slowly slipped out of limelight due to shifting of the headquarters to other parts of Malabar. Kavvayi Island has been mentioned by name , by all leading travelers including Marco Polo 1293AD, Ibn Battuta 1342AD and Abdul Fida 1273AD

This Kavvayi Island is very much famous for having a history of zamindars. Surrounded by small islands called kadappuram, Kavvayi Island has access to these small islands only through small boats or traditional "thonis". These small islands are directly faces the Arabian Sea. The Arabian Sea roars in these areas with great force and hence it is really unbearable and difficult to stay here. Moreover, these islands are going on becoming smaller and smaller and people from these islands have been moving to cities due to urbanization.

The tourists can simply unwind by taking a walk along the land that fringes the Kavvayi Island or else may step into one of the country boats and relax in the cool breeze while enjoying the abundance of surrounding greenery. This backwater stretch of Kavvayi Island is full of interesting sights and experiences that would keep preventing your interest level from hitting a low. Locally called as Kavvayi Kayal or the backwater of Kavvayi, this lesser known backwater of northern Kerala is the result of the five rivers viz. River Kavvayi along with its tributary streams, namely the Kankol, Vannathichal, Kuppithodu, and Kuniyan.

From an ecological point of view the backwater of Kavvayi and its surrounding region is considered to be significant. The backwater and the wetlands of Kavvayi Island are home to a variety of fauna and flora. Another interesting sight that one could encounter while on the backwaters of Kavvayi Island is the nearly half a dozen of small and big islands. The backwater setting at Kavvayi is the biggest wetland in north Kerala with an area of roughly 37 km². A boat ride ideally from Kotti-Kottappuram would enable a visitor to see and enjoy the many stimulating sights of Kavvayi Island.