Kalpetta, Best Tourist places to Visit in Wayanad

Kalpetta, the small town lying on the Kozhikode- Mysore National Highway is the headquarters of Wayanad district. It is about 72 km from Kozhikode. The town surrounded by coffee plantations and mountains is a tourist hub as well as a major trading centre in the district.

It is through Kalpetta the spices, coffee and tea produced in the mountains of Wayanad are traded out to various other regions of India. Kalpetta is a stronghold of the Jains and you can see temples and various institutions run by Jains here. There are about 500 Jain families in Kalpetta today.

Kalpetta was under the rule of Western Ganga dynasty until AD930. Through ages this region fell into the rule of Hoysala Empire, Vijayanagara Empire, and Kingdom of Mysore. Pazhassi Raja was the next to rule the region. Kalpetta Nair administered the place as the representative for Pazhassi Raja.

Mysorean invasion of Kerala made Kalpetta a part of Tipu Sultan’s empire. This continued until the demise of Tipu Sultan. Along with the rest of Malabar, Kalpetta also came under British rule after Tipu Sultan’s demise.

In Wayanad, the Indian independence movement started first at Kalpetta. Kalpetta became the headquarters when Wayanad district was formed on 1 November 1980. Kalpetta was still a Village Panchayath when it became district headquarters and it attained Municipality status on 1 April 1990.

Visit the charming Pookode lake surrounded by wooded hills, 3 km from Vythiri.
You can buy spices and tea from the plantations at the stalls at the lake entrance.
Trek up to the Edakkal Caves with their intriguing rock carvings
Shop for fine Kerala saris and other handlooms at Sindur in the nearby town of Kalpetta.
Go on an early morning nature walk with a knowledgeable local to point out local flora.

When to go: The best time to visit is from August to May, although winters are very cold during December and January.

Town:: From Kozhikode, Vythiri in Wayanad is around 2 hours (66 km) by road. It is 5 hours (287 km) by road from Bangalore, 2 hours (149 km) from Mysore and 3 hours (107 km) from Ooty.
Airport:: Nearest airport is Calicut International Airport, 100KM from Kalpetta.
Railway Station:: Nearest railway station is Kozhikode railway station (72KM from Kalpetta).
District:: Wayanad
Longitude:: 11.583378
Latitude:: 76.066074