Fort Kochi Beach, Ernakulam

Fort Kochi Beach skirts the western shoreline of Kochi city highlighted by massive Chinese fishing nets and a colonial Fort, several European style bungalows, churches and synagogues. It is here that the Europeans first settled in India and the venue of the 1st Portuguese-Dutch war in the 17th century. The Beach is just 12 kms from the main city Ernakulam. It is one of the finest beaches in Kerala, a major tourist enclave reputed for its laidback atmosphere and delicious seafood but mostly for its ancient buildings, vestiges of its colonial past. It is synonymous with the towering Fort Emmanuel; the edifice seems as if on guard overlooking the sea and the beach below. It is a creation of the Portuguese settlers and christened as Fort Kochi after this territory was given to them in 1503 by the Raja of Kochi.

The best way to enjoy these colonial relics is to go walking. The charming bungalows are neatly arranged with narrow well-paved roads revealing a mix of Anglo-Dutch Indo influence. There are few antiques shops too. Other than these, the numerous churches and synagogues are good visits even if just for enjoying the grand ornamentations or the quietness of the place. Some of the most prominent structures you should not miss are the St. Francis Church, Vasco House, Santa Cruz Basilica, Jewish Synagogue and Jew Town, Bolgatty Palace, Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace) and the Hill Palace, Palliport (Pallipuram). This former sleepy fishermen village has been converted into a thriving town thanks to the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.

What always strikes visitors to the Beach is the massive Chinese fishing nets that line the shoreline. The nets made of teak wood and bamboo poles are believed to have been introduced by Chinese traders from the court of Kublai Khan in the late 14th century. They are best seen at sunset from the promontory or by a hired harbour tour boat. They were 100 of them earlier but now only a few remain.
You can also enjoy freshly-caught fish from the numerous small stalls at Vasco da Gama square just behind the nets. You can even ask them to cook it the way you like. But if you are here why not sample the local favorites: fried fish, fish molly (a coconut milk sauce based curry almost like stew) or the Alleppey fish curry (traditional curry with tomato sauce and fish tamarind) and Fish Peera (chunks of fish toasted with grated coconuts with fish tamarind sauce).

Fort Kochi was once a very large beach but reduced to a quarter of its original size after the Tsunami. To revive its former beauty, small walkway was constructed recently making it ideal for evening strolls. A massive anchor of an old Portuguese ship is displayed on the walkway.