Malabar Coast, Historic coast in Kerala, India
The Malabar Coast is a coastal region in southwestern India that runs for 845 kilometers between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats mountain range. The entire area includes sandy beaches, dense palm groves, and numerous river mouths flowing into the sea.
European traders from Portugal reached this coast in the late 15th century looking for pepper and other spices. Later, Dutch and French merchants also arrived, setting up trading posts along the shoreline.
The name comes from the word "Maleyaalam," referring to the local Malayalam language, which European traders carried back to Europe. Along this coastline, fishing communities still cast their traditional nets into the sea during the early morning hours.
You can reach the coastal towns through airports in Kozhikode, Kannur, and Mangalore, with local buses running regularly from there. During the monsoon season between June and September, heavy rain can make travel conditions more difficult.
Beneath the water surface lie numerous shipwrecks from the colonial era, now serving as artificial reefs. These sunken vessels attract schools of fish and create small underwater ecosystems along the shoreline.
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