Kakkayam Dam, Kozhikode: Travel Guide 2026

Kakkayam Dam at a glance

About Kakkayam Dam

A dam site surrounded by forest and rock, Kakkayam is located in Kozhikode district of Kerala, in the hills where the Malabar plains climb towards Wayanad. It is not a city attraction. The reservoir and the forest around it lie within the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, a 74 sq km protected area notified in 2010, and the sanctuary's elephants, gaur and deer are the reason the road has a check-post. There is also a waterfall in close proximity to the dam called Urakkuzhi. It is a great place for wildlife lovers and for anyone who wants a quiet day outdoors within driving distance of Calicut.

The road journey to the Kakkayam Dam is equally beautiful. With dense forest on one side and rock faces on the other, the last climb up the ghat is half the reason people come. Trekking and rock climbing draw a small, regular crowd, and hornbills and other forest birds are often seen near the water.

Kakkayam is not very well known outside north Kerala, so on a weekday you may share the reservoir with only a few boatloads of visitors. Sundays and holidays are a different story. Families from Kozhikode, Perambra and Balussery fill the picnic spots and the boat queue by late morning.

Where is Kakkayam Dam?

Kakkayam Dam is in Koorachundu panchayat of Kozhikode district, at 11.551° N, 75.925° E. The nearest towns are Koorachundu and Perambra (22 km), and the small junction of Vayalada is 18 km away. The dam holds back the Kuttiyadi river for the Kerala State Electricity Board's Kuttiyadi Hydro Electric Project, whose main powerhouse at Kakkayam produces 225 MW. Water released from the powerhouse flows on to the Peruvannamuzhi Dam irrigation reservoir downstream, which is why the two dams are so often visited together.

Two bodies run the site. The Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre (KHTC), a KSEB unit, manages the dam area, boating, cycling and parking. The Kerala Forest Department runs the check-post on the forest road and the walk to Urakkuzhi waterfalls. You buy tickets from each separately.

How to reach Kakkayam Dam

The easiest way to reach Kakkayam Dam is by car or taxi from Kozhikode, via Balussery, Estate Mukku and Koorachundu. The final stretch is a narrow forest ghat road with hairpin bends. Drive slowly, keep the windows up near elephants and do not stop on the road for photos.

By bus. KSRTC and private buses run from Kozhikode to Balussery and Koorachundu. A few services continue to Kakkayam, but they are infrequent, so most bus travellers hire a jeep or autorickshaw from Koorachundu for the last part.

By train. Kozhikode railway station is the nearest major stop on the Mangaluru to Chennai and Mangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram lines. Koyilandy, further north, is handy if your train stops there.

By air. Calicut International Airport (CCJ) at Karipur is about 80 km away, and Kannur International Airport is about 100 km away. From either, hire a cab for the full day.

Coming from Wayanad? Descend the Thamarassery ghat and cut across to Balussery, then follow the same Koorachundu road up.

Kakkayam Dam timings and entry fee 2026

Kakkayam Dam is open every day in two sessions, 9 am to 1 pm and 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm, and the KHTC entry pass costs Rs 30 per adult and Rs 15 per child. Everything else is charged on top, as the table shows. For more detail, see our pages on the Kakkayam Dam entry fee and Kakkayam Dam timings.

Source: Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre rate table, checked 27 September 2026, and the Kerala Tourism eco-tourism page for the Forest Department walk. Older blogs still quote an Rs 750 boat ride and 6 am to 8 pm hours. Neither is current.

Photography is allowed. Buy a camera pass at the KHTC counter for a DSLR or video camera. Phone photos of the reservoir and forest need no pass, but follow the signs at the dam wall and powerhouse, where KSEB can restrict photos of the installation.

Things to do at Kakkayam Dam

Most visitors fit four things into a Kakkayam day: the speed boat, the Urakkuzhi walk, the Kariyathan Rock view point and a slow drive through the sanctuary. For more of the district, see our list of things to do in Calicut.

1. Speed boat ride on the reservoir

This is the headline activity. KHTC's five-seat speed boats run a 15-minute loop past forested banks, and from the water you can see the Ambalappara waterfall, which has no road access. After the monsoon, thin streams pour into the reservoir along the whole loop. On weekends, buy your boat ticket as soon as you arrive, because the slots before noon go first.

2. Walk to Urakkuzhi waterfalls

A 1.2 to 1.5 km forest path leads from the ticket counter to the falls. See the Urakkuzhi section below.

3. Kariyathan Rock view point

Kariyathan Rock gives the widest view of the valley and the reservoir. See the view point section below.

4. Trekking and rock climbing

The granite faces around Kakkayam attract climbers, and the Forest Department runs guided treks in the sanctuary. Treks need prior permission from the forest range office in Kozhikode, so arrange them a few days ahead. For longer routes across the state, read our guide to trekking in Kerala.

5. Wildlife and birdwatching

Elephants, gaur, sambar, barking deer and the Malabar giant squirrel all live in the sanctuary, and hornbills are the birds people hope for. Early morning on the approach road is the best time for sightings. To compare Kakkayam with the bigger reserves, see our list of wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala.

6. Cycling, jeep ride and picnics

KHTC rents bicycles for a 30-minute ride around the dam area, and an Rs 350 jeep pass covers the two-way run inside the site. The grassy banks near the reservoir are the usual picnic spot. Carry your food out with you, because the whole area is plastic-free.

Urakkuzhi waterfalls

Urakkuzhi waterfall is a short cascade about 1.2 to 1.5 km from the Kakkayam ticket counter, reached on foot through the forest. The name joins two Malayalam words, ural (a stone mortar) and kuzhi (pit). Over centuries the stream has ground deep round pits into the rock bed, and they look exactly like the stone mortars once used in Kerala kitchens.

The path is paved for most of the way, with a small hanging bridge and a rocky final stretch down to the water. Allow about 90 minutes for the return walk. The falls are at their fullest from July to October. In summer the flow drops to a trickle but the rock pits are easier to see. The Forest Department ticket is separate from the KHTC entry pass. More falls in the state are in our guide to waterfalls in Kerala.

Kakkayam view point: Kariyathan Rock and Kariyathumpara

The Kakkayam view point that most people mean is Kariyathan Rock (also called Kariyathan Mala), a rock outcrop above the valley. From the top you look over the reservoir, the forested ridges of the Western Ghats and, on clear winter mornings, cloud sitting low in the valley. It is the best spot for photos in late afternoon light.

Kariyathumpara, despite the similar name, is a separate spot. It lies lower down on the Koorachundu side, where the Peruvannamuzhi reservoir backwater spreads into grassy banks and shallow water around small islands of trees. It is a favourite picnic stop on the way up or back. Nearby Thonikadavu has a watchtower and walkways over the same backwater. Swim only where locals say it is safe, and never after rain.

Best time to visit Kakkayam

The best time to visit Kakkayam is October to February, when the reservoir is full, the hills are green and the weather stays cool enough to walk to Urakkuzhi at midday.

Weekdays are far quieter than Sundays. For the weather across the district, see the best time to visit Kozhikode.

A one-day Kakkayam plan: Thonikadavu, Kakkayam and Kariyathumpara

Leave Kozhikode by 7 am and have breakfast at Balussery. Stop at Thonikadavu for the watchtower view, then drive up the ghat to reach Kakkayam by about 9:30 am. Take one of the first speed boats, then walk to Urakkuzhi falls before the midday heat. Eat a simple Kerala meal near the check-post, climb Kariyathan Rock in the early afternoon and spend the last hour at Kariyathumpara or Peruvannamuzhi on the way down. Aim to leave the forest road by 5:30 pm.

Places to visit near Kakkayam

These are the next stops within an easy drive.

Peruvannamuzhi Dam, a short drive downstream, is the irrigation dam fed by Kakkayam's powerhouse, with boating, a garden and a bird sanctuary on its islands.

Thonikadavu and Kariyathumpara, on the Koorachundu road, are the backwater viewpoints described above.

Janakikkad eco-tourism, near Kuttiady, is a Forest Department forest walk along the river.

Thusharagiri Waterfalls, near Kodencheri, are the best-known falls in the district and pair well with Kakkayam on a two-day trip.

To build a longer loop, start with our guide to places to visit in Calicut.

Where to stay and eat near Kakkayam

There is no hotel at Kakkayam Dam, and the forest area closes in the evening. Homestays and plantation stays around Koorachundu, Kariyathumpara and Peruvannamuzhi keep you 20 to 40 minutes from the dam, or you can base yourself in Kozhikode city and drive up. Compare options in our list of resorts in Calicut, or book stay, a cab and sightseeing together with our Kozhikode tour packages.

Food near the dam is basic. Small eateries near the check-post serve rice meals, and the toddy shops (shappu) on the Koorachundu road are known for kappa (tapioca) with fish or beef curry. Carry water and snacks for the Urakkuzhi walk.

Rules and safety tips for Kakkayam

Plastic is banned inside the forest, and bags can be checked at the check-post.

Carry cash as well as a UPI app. Mobile signal fades on the ghat road, so UPI can fail at the counters, and the Forest Department sells eco-tourism tickets online, so book the Urakkuzhi walk ahead where you can.

Leave before dark. Elephants cross the forest road in the evening, and the check-post closes access after hours.

Do not swim in the reservoir or the Urakkuzhi pools. The depth and current are hard to judge.

Wear shoes with grip. The last stretch to Urakkuzhi is wet rock for much of the year.

In the monsoon, carry salt or leech socks, and phone ahead on alert days. Contacts: KHTC 0471 2553640, DTPC Kozhikode 0495 2720012.

History of Kakkayam

The Kuttiyadi Hydro Electric Project, with its powerhouse at Kakkayam, was commissioned by KSEB in 1972 and later expanded to 225 MW. Kakkayam also carries a darker memory. During the Emergency (1975 to 1977), a police camp here held political detainees. Among them was P. Rajan, a student of the Regional Engineering College, Calicut, taken into custody in March 1976 and never seen again. His father's habeas corpus case in the Kerala High Court led to Chief Minister K. Karunakaran's resignation in 1977, and the case still shapes Kerala's debate on custodial rights. The New Indian Express revisited the story in June 2025.

Kakkayam is best done as an early start from Kozhikode, with the boat, the falls and the view point in one unhurried day. If you'd rather not plan the drive and the stay yourself, our Kozhikode tour packages can fit Kakkayam in as a day out.

Edited by TravelTriangle