The prospect for the tourism industry is very high in Kannur district. In 1505, the St. Angelos Fort in the Kannur Cantonment was constructed which is a symbol of Portuguese architecture and attracts plenty of tourists every year. The Thalassery Fort is also an important tourist centre. Kannur beach and Ezhimala are known for their scenic beauty. Some of the places of historic importance are the house of Gulldert, who composed the first Malayalam-English Dictionary and the mosque at Madayi. This was constructed in 1124 and the main attraction was its marble, which was brought from Mecca.

Fort St. Angelos:
Fort St. Angelos is positioned in the west of Kannur town. The first Portuguese Viceroy, Don Francisco De Almeida, built it in 1505 with the permission of the Kolathiris, on a promontory jutting into the Lakshadweep Sea. The Dutch captured the fort in 1663 and sold it to the Ali Raja of Kannur in 1772. Again in 1790 it came into the possession of the British. The British rebuilt it and made it their most important station in Malabar. Though parts of the fort are collapsed still it is in a fairly good state of preservation. A few obsolete guns are there at the fort. Presently the fort is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.

Thalassery Fort:
The British arrived in Thalassery in 1683 and constructed a goods shed there in. They shifted their commercial capital to Thalassery while previously it was in Kozhikkode, followed some obstructions from the Dutch. In 1700, the British built the Thalassery Fort on a small hill called Tiruvellapadkunnu. In 1708, it was strengthened by increasing its height and with bastions. The fort is square structure built of laterite and its distinguishable parts are massive ventilated walls and strong flanking bastions. It was said that here the Raider`s captain was imprisoned. The famous St. John`s Anglican church is situated just behind this fort.

Muzhappilangad Beach:
This is situated at 15 km from Kanpur and 8 km from Thalasseri. In this beach black rocks protect this long, clean beach from the currents of the deep, making it shallows waters and a swimmer`s paradise. Perhaps this is Kerala`s only drive- in beach where one can drive the entire length of 4 km.

Payyambalam Beach Resort:
The Payyambalam beach is one of the beautiful beaches in this State. It is an ideal place to spend evenings in all the seasons. It is also very near to Kannur town. The mortal remains of the following are laid to rest near this resort viz. Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pilla, A.K. Gopalan, K.P. Gopalan, Pamban Madhavan and K.G. Marar.

Ezhimala:
Ezhimala is the capital of the ancient Mooshika kings, which is considered to be an ancient historical site. It is a noticeable, isolated cluster of hills that forms a peninsula. This is located at 38 km North to Kannur.

In ancient Kerala it was a flourishing seaport and centre of trade. It was one of the major battlefields of the Chola-Chera war of the IIth century. It is believed that Ezhimala was visited by Lord Budha. An old mosque, situated here believed to contain the mortal remains of Shaikh Abdul Latif, who was a Muslim reformist. The hill is also noted for rare medicinal herbs. It is bordered by sea on three sides and also occupies a prominent place in the naval history of the country. It is being proposed to commission the naval academy here.

Malayalakalagramam:
It is situated at a distance of 29 km from Kannur. This renowned centre for arts and culture at New Mahe conduct courses in painting, sculpture, music, dance and pottery.

Pazhassi Dam:
This place is situated at 37 km from Kannur. It is an ideal retreat for tourists. The dam site is famous for its scenic beauty. The D.T.P.C provides pleasure boating facilities at the reservoir. Accommodation is also available for the tourists at the Project Inspection Bungalow and its dormitories.

Pythal Mala:
It is at 65 km distance from Kannur Town. This charming hill station is situated 4,500 ft. above sea level near the Kerala - Karnataka border. Its flora and fauna are really rich in collection. It is a 6 km trek to the top of the hills.

Gundert Bungalow:
This is situated at 20 km from Kannur, which is near Thalasseri town on the national highway(NH) at Illikunnu. Here one of the first Malayalam dictionaries and the first Malayalam newspaper Rajyasamacharam took shape at this place. This place has a historic value as famous scholar and lexicographer Dr. Herman Gundart lived in this bungalow from 1839.

Snake Park at Parassinikkadavu:
The Snake Park at Parassinikkadavu is situated 18 km away from Kannur town. It is one of the well-known snake parks in the country. The park is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of snakes, most of which are becoming extinct gradually. There is a large collection of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes that caters tourist`s attraction.

Moppila Bay:
Moppila Bay is a natural fishing harbour and is lying near Fort St. Angelos. A sea wall, which projects from the fort, separates the rough sea and inland water. The bay was famous during the Kolathiris` regime as a commercial harbour. It linked Kolathunadu with Lakshadweep and foreign countries, in imports. Today Mopilla bay has turned into a modernized fishing harbour and developed under the Indo-Norwegian Pact.