The treasures of Kochi, the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea’, are its water bodies. The main reason for the emergence of Kochi as the main trading centre of Kerala was its geography. The huge flood in Periyar in 1341 gave birth to the port city. Fort Kochi, granted to the Portuguese in 1503 by the Maharaja of Kochi, was a fishing village in the pre-colonial Kerala. The Portuguese held it for 160 years, until the Dutch came and took possession of it for the next ten decades, followed by the British.
Kochi is still an amalgamation of histories of hundreds of years. A visit to the Fort Kochi beach is not just a picnic but also a tour through the trade history of Kerala. This walk shall take the participants through a number of historical remains that also define what Fort Kochi is today. We shall explore the narrow streets of the old city with buildings on both sides. From the beach, we shall visit the Dutch Cemetery, St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, Parade Ground, and the Dutch East India Company Warehouse, etc.
This guided tour is free.
