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Kochi, once known as Cochin, is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala in southwest India, famous for the Chinese fishing nets, colonial churches and spice-trade history of Fort Kochi. For centuries Arab, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders passed through its harbour, and each left a mark on the city.
Fort Kochi and Mattancherry hold the old town's treasures: St. Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was first buried, the Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, the murals of Mattancherry Palace and the Paradesi Synagogue of 1568 in Jew Town. Every two years the Kochi-Muziris Biennale fills old warehouses with contemporary art.
Across the water, mainland Ernakulam offers Marine Drive and the Mangalavanam mangroves, while Hill Palace in Tripunithura recalls the Cochin royal family. Cherai Beach on Vypin Island combines sea and backwaters, and evening Kathakali shows reveal Kerala's classical dance drama. October to March is the best time to visit.
The Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi are giant shore-operated lift nets lining the Kochi waterfront, each about 10 metres high with a net of 20 metres or more. Teams of fishermen lower and raise them using heavy stone counterweights, and the nets look most striking at sunset.
St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi, first built in 1503, is one of the oldest European churches in India. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 and was buried here for 14 years before his remains were taken to Lisbon, and his original gravestone still lies inside.
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica in Fort Kochi is one of the finest churches in Kerala, first built by the Portuguese in 1505 and made a cathedral in 1558. The present building, with its twin spires and Indo-European Gothic style, is known for its painted ceilings, murals and stained glass.
The Indo-Portuguese Museum in Fort Kochi showcases the Portuguese influence on Kochi and the Kerala coast. Set in the Bishop's House compound, its five sections cover the altar, treasure, processions, civil life and the cathedral, including a 16th-century teak altar piece from Vypeen.
Mattancherry Palace in Kochi, popularly called the Dutch Palace, was built by the Portuguese around 1545 as a gift to the Raja of Kochi. Despite its name, its treasures are Kerala murals of Hindu epics, among the finest in India, along with portraits, palanquins and costumes of the Cochin rulers.
Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry's Jew Town, Kochi, was built in 1568 and is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations. Its floor is laid with hand-painted Chinese porcelain tiles and its ceiling hung with glass chandeliers, recalling Kochi's small community of Cochin Jews.
Jew Town is the historic quarter of Mattancherry in Kochi that grew up around the Paradesi Synagogue. Its narrow lanes are lined with old spice warehouses, antique shops and craft stores, and the smell of ginger, pepper and cardamom still drifts through streets where traders once dealt in spices.
The Kerala Folklore Museum in Thevara, Kochi, is a three-storey building that blends the architectural styles of Malabar, Kochi and Travancore. It holds thousands of masks, costumes, sculptures and artefacts of Kerala's folk and ritual arts, and its top floor has a traditional wooden theatre.
Hill Palace in Tripunithura, Kochi, was built in 1865 as the official residence of the Cochin Maharajas and is now Kerala's largest archaeological museum. Its 49 buildings across 54 acres display royal regalia, paintings and manuscripts, and the grounds include a deer park and gardens.
Bolgatty Palace stands on Bolgatty Island in Kochi, built by Dutch traders in 1744 and believed to be one of the oldest Dutch palaces outside the Netherlands. Later home to the British Resident, it has been a heritage hotel since 1976, with lawns looking across the backwaters.
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art held across Kochi, the largest in India and the biggest contemporary art festival in Asia. Shows fill heritage buildings, warehouses and public spaces in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry during each edition.
The Kerala Kathakali Centre in Fort Kochi stages short evening performances of Kathakali, Kerala's classical dance drama. Arrive early to watch the artists apply their elaborate green and red make-up, then enjoy the expressive eye movements and gestures that tell stories from the Hindu epics.
Fort Kochi Beach is a seaside promenade along the Arabian Sea in Kochi's historic Fort Kochi district. A shady walkway runs past the Chinese fishing nets and old colonial buildings, and in the evening locals and visitors gather here to watch the sunset and the ships entering the harbour.
Marine Drive is a waterfront promenade in Ernakulam, Kochi, built on reclaimed land overlooking the backwaters of the Vembanad Lake system. The walkway runs from the High Court junction to Rajendra Maidan, crossing the Rainbow Bridge, and boat jetties along it offer sunset cruises.
Cherai Beach lies on the northern side of Vypin Island, about 25 kilometres from central Kochi, and is one of Kerala's most visited beaches. Its gentle waves suit swimming, dolphins are often seen offshore, and it is one of the few places where the backwaters and the sea appear in one view.
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary is a small mangrove reserve in the heart of Kochi, close to the Kerala High Court. Often called the green lung of the city, it shelters many resident and migratory birds such as cormorants and herons, and a short trail lets visitors look out over its tidal lagoon.
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