Area- 2344 sq.km.
District Population- 26,19,941
Temperature- Mean Max. 34.0 deg.C
Mean Min. 22.5 deg.C
Climate- Tropical
Altitude- Sea level
Rainfall- 254 cm. (Annual)
Tourist Season- September to May

Conveyance to
Air : Calicut airport 29 Km from Kozhikode city.
Rail : Kozhikode Railway station. All Kerala-bound trains on Konkan line stops in Kozhikode. Services to Chennai, Coimbathore also. Vadakara, Koilandi are other stops in the district.
Road : Three National Highways connect Kozhikode with destinations elsewhere in the country. N H 17 on Western coast connects the city with Mumbai, Mangalore and Goa. N H 213 (Kozhikode-Palakkad) gives a fast track to Tamilnadu. N H 212( Kozhikode- Kollegal, Mysore) winds its way through Wayanad district before entering the stipulated Mysore - Bangalore Express Highway in Mysore. KSRTC operates round - the - clock services to Southern Kerala, Wayanad district, Mysore and Bangalore. A few services to Kannur, Kasargode, Mangalore, Coimbathore and Ootty. Private buses are on all the village routes in the district, besides operating to Palakkad, Kannur, Thrissur, Malappuram districts. However, they ply during the daytime only. City buses run within Kozhikode city.

Kozhikode (earlier Calicut, anglicized form of Kalikut) means Koyil (Palace) Kodu (fortified). The historical town was the seat of Zamorins. When Vasco De Gama, the navigator from Lisbon landed at Kappad near Kozhikode, the city was the first in the country to receive a force from a Western country. Even before the Gama expedition on this land, Arabs and Chinese had established trade relations with Kozhikode. During the British regime Kozhikode was under Madras Province. The city has retained its position as the capital of Malabar region and major trading centre of hill-produce. "Calicut is a port for the whole Indian sea, which God forbid any craft to cross..." these words of Athanaseus Nikiten, the Russian traveler way back in the 13th century echo even today the glory of the historical town that is 'Koyil' (palace)'Kodu' (fortified).
In May 1498, Vasco Da Gama landed at Kappad, 16km north of Kozhikode as the leader of a trade mission from Portugal & was received by the Zamorin himself. Kozhikode attained a position of pre-eminence in the trade of pepper & other spices which made it India's emporium of international trade. As Kozhikode offered full freedom & security, the Arab & the Chinese merchants preferred it to all other ports. The globe-trotter Ibn Batuta (A.D. 1342-47) notes: "We came next to Kalikut, one of the great ports of the district of Malabar, & in which merchants of all parts are found." Associated with the Zamorins is Kottaparamba where stood their ancient palace. Mananchira was the bathing tank of the members of the Zamorin's household.

You can have a glimpse of the rich historic past of Kozhikode in the Pazhassiraja Museum, which is located at East Hill, 5 km from the city. The state archaeological department runs this museum. The various galleries within this museum have an extensive collection of artefacts that range from ancient coins, bronze objects, copies of ancient murals, etc., depicting the rich cultural heritage of this region. The exhibits of the megaliths (huge prehistoric monuments) are quite interesting. This museum is open for public viewing from 10:00 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 5:00 pm everyday except on Mondays and public holidays.

The Art Gallery is adjacent to the Pazhassiraja Museum and is famous for its collection of paintings made by Raja Ravi Varma and Raja Raja Varma. Both these artists belonged to the royal family of the erstwhile Travancore state. If you are an art connoisseur, then the Art Gallery is a must-visit place for you. This gallery holds an important position in the Indian art circle because of its association with Raja Ravi Varma. It is said that he was the first Indian painter to make use of oil colours. The paintings of this great artist generally revolve around the depiction of mythological events, royal portraits and day-to-day life. The art gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm on all days except Monday and public holidays.

The Krishna Menon Museum is also located near the Pazhassiraja Museum. This museum is dedicated to the memory of V. K. Krishna Menon, who was a great Indian statesman. The personal belongings of this legendary political figure have been displayed in this museum. The museum is open only on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 10:00 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 5:00 pm.

The Manachira Square is located in the heart of the city, a place where the main courtyard of palace of the erstwhile Zamorin rulers once existed. Presently, the square has a well laid out park, which has a number of traditional Keralite houses and a large water tank nearby.

The coastline along Kozhikode, located on the eastern part of the city, offers you a long stretch of uninterrupted sandy beach. You can see and enjoy the glorious spectacle of the setting sun from this beach. The Lighthouse, the Lions Park (children's park) and the Aquarium (which has a good collection of marine life and freshwater fish) are interesting places to visit on this beach.

The city of Kozhikode has a number of important religious places belonging to different faiths. The tolerant nature of the erstwhile rulers of this city allowed the peaceful coexistence of people belonging to different religions, which resulted in the building of a number of religious monuments throughout the city. The Tali Temple was built by the Zamorin dynasty in the 14th century. It is an excellent example of the traditional Keralite School of temple architecture. During the reign of the Zamorins, this temple hosted a weeklong gathering of literary-minded people who congregated here from different parts of the kingdom. The Mother of God Church is another important place of religious interest in Kozhikode. The church is built in accordance with the principles of the Roman architectural style. This church houses a 200-year-old portrait of St Mary. The St Mary's Church is a place worth visiting in Kozhikode. It was built by the British to cater to the spiritual needs of their Christian subjects. Other religious places worth visiting are the Fire Temple (built by the Parsi community of Kozhikode) located on SM Street, the Buddhist Vihar located on Customs Road, and the Mishkal Masjid located at Kuttichira.

Beypore (11 km) is a small coastal town known for its shipbuilding industry for centuries. It is still a favorite destination to buy large boats.

Vadakara (48 km) is a commercial center of martial arts and the birthplace of Tacholi Othenan, a legendry hero of North Malabar.
Ninety-eight kilometers away from Calicut is Tellicherry and Sultan Battery famous for their breathtaking scenery.

Thusharagiri is famous for its waterfalls and lush green forests. It is at a distance of 11 km from Kodenchery, a place abounding in rubber plantations, coconut, pepper, ginger, and spices of all sorts.

There is a dam at Kakkayam, located around 45 km from Calicut. The place offers challenging trekking and rock-climbing through river path and numerous waterfalls.

There is another dam at Peruvannamoozhy, 60 km from Calicut. It is a place of beauty, calm, and serenity. The place has a crocodile farm run by the state forest department.

Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary (25 km) is a heaven for migratory birds. Terns, gulls, herons, sandpipers, whimbrels, and other migratory birds flock the place from the month of November and returns only by the end of April. The ideal season to visit is from December to April in the early hours of the day.

Other places worth visiting are Velleri Mala, a beautiful location for trekking and Velliyamkallu.