Kochi Travel Guide: Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Planning Your Stay

Kochi spreads across the mainland city of Ernakulam, the old peninsula of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, and islands such as Willingdon and Bolgatty, which is why ferries and the Water Metro are part of getting around. Most visitors spend their time on the peninsula. Every trip we run here is on our Kochi tours and experiences page.

Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi is the western part of Kochi, about 12 km from Ernakulam town and 15 minutes from it by ferry. The Ernakulam district administration calls it the first European township in Kerala, and the Portuguese, Dutch and British each held it in turn. Kerala Tourism lists its main sights as St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, the Dutch Cemetery, the Parade Ground and VOC Gate, Fort Immanuel, the Indo-Portuguese and Maritime museums, the beach and the Chinese fishing nets.

The Chinese fishing nets and Fort Kochi beach

The cantilevered nets, called Cheenavala, are still operated by local fishermen using traditional methods, according to Incredible India, and stand beside Vasco da Gama Square on the waterfront. Kerala Tourism's Fort Kochi booklet says morning is the best time to see them working, while its beach page recommends the beach for sunsets. The beach has a lighthouse and a granite walkway, and a section of it is off limits because it is under the control of the Indian Navy. The Cochin Carnival is held on the beach on New Year's Eve.

St Francis Church

Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, St Francis Church is one of the oldest European churches in India, according to Incredible India, which says it houses the tomb of Vasco da Gama. It stands a short walk from the fishing nets, among the old Portuguese and Dutch buildings that line the streets behind the waterfront.

Santa Cruz Basilica

Santa Cruz Basilica is a white-fronted Catholic church with two lofty spires, according to Kerala Tourism. Incredible India says Pope John Paul II raised it to the rank of basilica in 1984, and that inside are frescoes, stained-glass windows and seven large canvas paintings, one a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. It is lit at night.

The museums of Fort Kochi

On the premises of the Bishop's House, the Indo-Portuguese Museum shows artefacts from various churches. The Maritime Museum, which Kerala Tourism says is housed in fortified ammunition bunkers built before the Second World War, covers the maritime history of Kerala. Check each museum's days before you go.

Mattancherry Palace

A short way from Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Palace, also called the Dutch Palace, is known for its murals of Hindu mythology. The Archaeological Survey of India manages it as a museum, and its former coronation hall holds portraits of the Cochin rulers. The Museums of India portal lists it open every day except Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Jew Town and the Paradesi Synagogue

In a corner of Jew Town, the Paradesi Synagogue was built in 1568, and Kerala Tourism describes its hand-painted blue willow-pattern floor tiles from Canton and its 19th-century glass chandeliers from Belgium. It is open every day except Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays, from 10 am to noon and 3 pm to 5 pm, and visitors are expected to enter barefoot. The streets around it are known for their spice shops and antique stores.

Marine Drive

Marine Drive, in Ernakulam, is a busy promenade beside the water where, Kerala Tourism says, boat lights shimmer in the evening and the Rainbow Bridge is lit in colours. Subhash Park nearby has lit pathways and views of ships.

Bolgatty Island

Bolgatty Island lies in the harbour, with the palace that a Dutch merchant built in 1744, which the Ernakulam district calls the oldest palace built by the Dutch outside Holland. It later housed the Dutch governor and then British governors, and the state tourism corporation took it over in 1976 and now runs it as a hotel. Kerala Tourism also lists the Kochi International Marina on the island, which it says is lit up at night with docked yachts.

Hill Palace Museum

Built in 1865 by the Maharaja of Cochin at Tripunithura, about 12 km from Ernakulam, Hill Palace is the largest archaeological museum in Kerala, according to the district administration. Its 54 acres and 49 buildings hold the museum, a heritage museum, a deer park and a prehistoric park, with artefacts, sculptures, coins and royal material. Tripunithura railway station is about 2 km away.

Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary

The Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, in the heart of Kochi, is the smallest protected area under the state forest department and, the district says, the only bird sanctuary in Kerala in mangrove forest. It was established in 2004, covers 0.0274 sq km and has recorded 72 bird species and 17 species of butterfly. Ernakulam South railway station is about 4 km away.

Cherai Beach

About two dozen kilometres from Ernakulam, beside Vypeen Island, Cherai Beach offers a swim with coconut groves behind it, Chinese nets and, the district says, frequent dolphins. The beach blends the backwaters and the sea. To reach it, take the ferry from Cochin to Vypeen, a local bus to Cherai Junction and an auto-rickshaw to the beach.

Kerala's classical dance-drama is the evening to book. Our Kathakali performance in Kochi lets you arrive early, when seating opens, for the face painting with commentary, then watch a narrated introduction and an excerpted scene to live percussion and vocals, in about two to two and a half hours; it runs year-round, suits families and holds children's attention, so arrive on time for the make-up. Other performing arts are on Kochi's performing arts page. In the evening, Kerala Tourism also points to Marine Drive, Fort Kochi beach, the lit streets of Mattancherry and the Kaloor Night Market. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale of contemporary art is held every two years in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, with Aspinwall House as its hub.