Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Paithalmala, or Pythal Mala, is a hill station located in the district of Kannur in Kerala. The hill station is about 65 km away from the town of Kannur and lies on the Kerala-Karnataka border at a height of 4500 feet above sea level.
For one to reach the top of the hill, you must trek up a distance of 6 km from the base and one could get a bird's-eye view of the entire locality covered in a blanket of greenery. The hill is part of the Sahyadri or the Western Ghats and is the tallest peak in Kannur.
PC: Ashish Gupta
The mountain ranges extend about 500 acres and are covered entirely in dense forests. The hill station is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, and offers a breathtaking view of the valleys and beautiful mountains. A large number of tourists come here, as it is an adventurous drive to reach up to the peak and also it is a place for one to trek.
Best Time To Visit Paithalmala
The hill can be visited throughout the year; however, most trekkers either prefer the months of June to October and the other from January to April. The hill turns into a green blanket after the monsoon showers and one should keep an eye on the leeches and elephant sightings.
PC: Ashish Gupta
How To Reach Paithalmala?
By Air: The nearest airport is the Calicut International Airport, which is approximately at a distance of 161 km. The airport has regular flights, which connect all the major cities in the country such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, etc., and also receives flights from the Middle Eastern countries.
By Train: The nearest railway station is the Kannur Railway Station, which is located at a distance of 57 km. The station receives trains from across the country and regular ones from the cities of Bengaluru, Chennai, etc.
PC: Ashish Gupta
By Road: Paithalmala is well connected by roads. The hilltop can be reached by two routes; one via Pottenplave and the other via Kappimala. Many prefer the first route, since there is a drivable path which takes you until the forest gates and after which you will need to trek up.
The drive through this stretch tends be very refreshing and takes you through some winding and narrow stretches.
Things To Do Here
The hill is a one-stop destination for trekking, through the thick forests of the Western Ghats. Once you reach the top, there is an observatory tower, which provides you some breathtaking views of Kannur district.
PC: Kamarukv
Apart from this, as you move further up, one would get an aerial view of the forests of Coorg on to your right-hand side and the valley of Paithal on to your left. At this point, one would get brilliant views of the grasslands.
It is one of the places in the state which is less interfered by human invasion, as the place is very limited when it comes to reaching there. Even though there are a few people who tend to spoil the beauty of the place by dumping waste there, by and large, it still remains as one of the less-polluted places and visitors are advised to preserve it.
