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Kochi · Heritage
Fort Kochi
Nets & Colonies
Chinese nets at sunset, colonial lanes, cafes and galleries.
The old quarter holding all of Kochi's charm: the Chinese fishing nets at sunset, colonial facades, St Francis Church with Vasco da Gama's grave, the cafes and Biennale galleries. An atmosphere found nowhere else in India: the Portuguese, Dutch and British each left a layer. Stay here if you came for the waterfront and the history.
Who it suits
the Chinese nets colonial lanes cafes and galleries
Staying here
Yes, if atmosphere matters: everything worth seeing is walkable.
In the evening
Sunset by the nets is the ritual; evenings mean cafes and kathakali theatres.
Getting there
Ferry from Ernakulam · then on foot
What to see
David Hall Art GalleryFree rotating shows by young Kerala artists inside a Dutch colonial houseDetails →
Kerala Kathakali CentreWatch the green make-up go on, then have every hand sign explainedDetails →
Bastion Bungalow (District Heritage Museum)Free and quiet, built straight onto a 17th-century Dutch fort bastion
Indian Naval Maritime MuseumShip models, missiles and open-air exhibits, ten minutes from the beach promenadeDetails →
Indo-Portuguese MuseumChurch silver upstairs, the original Portuguese fort walls in the basementDetails →
Dutch CemeteryA hundred and four Dutch epitaphs, read through the bars at golden hourDetails →
Fort KochiDetails →
Santa Cruz BasilicaDetails →
Princess StreetDetails →
St. Francis ChurchDetails →
Chinese Fishing NetsDetails →
KathakaliTheater of Masks and Symbols
Where to eat
Chez TeapotFort Kochi's iconic, endlessly charming tea cafe, a serene vintage stop for tea and cake.
Kashi Art CafeThe definitive Fort Kochi arty cafe, a heritage institution that set the template for the neighbourhood's creative food scene.
Lila
Loafers Corner CafeA relaxed, wifi-friendly corner cafe that's become a reliable Fort Kochi work-and-linger spot.
Loving Earth Yoga CafeThe go-to fully vegan, plant-based kitchen in Fort Kochi.
Qissa CaféThe neighbourhood's go-to work cafe, with plugs, wifi and a calm room built for long sessions.
HistoryA beautifully researched journey through Fort Kochi's colonial-era food history, the city's most distinctive fine-dining experience.
Malabar JunctionFort Kochi's benchmark boutique-hotel fine dining, where European finesse meets the local catch.
Fusion BaySyrian Christian home cooking at fair prices; for a vegetarian that means the generous appam with vegetable stew and avial.
Tibet Kitchen
Trouvaille
Shopping
Idiom Book SellersCreaky, overflowing and the best-stocked bookshop in the heritage quarter
Kochi BooksA tight, well-chosen shelf of India explaining itself, one floor above the streetDetails →
Where to stay
Zostel Kochi (Fort Kochi)Backpacker hostel on a colonial Fort Kochi lane
Tissa's InnSpotless heritage-mansion inn with a pool
Old Harbour Hotel300-year-old Dutch mansion facing the Chinese fishing nets
Tea Bungalow1912 heritage bungalow with garden and pool
Brunton Boatyard (CGH Earth)Colonial-shipyard heritage hotel on the harbour front
The Malabar HouseRelais & Châteaux art hotel in twin 18th-century villas
Other areas of Kochi
Areas on the map
In the app: the city's areas on the map, the places inside and a route.
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