Kozhikode, formerly known as Calicut, is where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498 (at Kappad Beach, 16 km north), opening the sea route between Europe and India. The city was the capital of the powerful Zamorin rulers and a major spice trading port for centuries before that. Marco Polo described it as a great province as early as 1320.
Today Kozhikode is a busy, unpretentious city with a strong sense of its own culture. The food here is outstanding, particularly the Malabar biryani, the pathiri (rice flatbread) and the fresh seafood — eat at Paragon or one of the older Mappila restaurants in Kuttichira. The Kozhikode halwa, a dense, chewy sweet made from rice flour and jaggery, is famous across Kerala; the original shops still line SM Street.
The city is also a gateway to Wayanad, the hill district to the east. About 30 km south of the city centre, the Ayurvedic hospital at Kottakkal is one of the most respected centres for traditional medicine in India, drawing patients from across the Middle East and beyond.