The most lovable and best thing to do in Fort Kochi is to explore it by walking. This post “Fort Kochi walking tour” makes it easy to explore Fort Kochi on foot.
Why you must visit Kochi ?
A city dotted with Dutch, Portuguese, Jewish and many other interesting heritage buildings, located by seaside, populated by towering trees, interspersed by art cafes, and a foodie’s paradise; that is Fort Kochi in a compact square mile of land.
It is just a small part of Ernakulum city, a square mile, and yet it is immensely interesting to traveling soles. You can spend as many days here as you want, but two days are bare minimum, three good enough and four and more leisurely.
How to do the walking tour of Fort Kochi.
Grab a copy of its street map from the place where you are staying or from nearby tourist info center, right opposite the bus stop and follow this post.
- Start your walking tour from Vasco Da Gama square and stop to look at Bastion Bungalow.
- After that, come back to church road and walk towards parade ground.
- On your left is St Francis Cathedral.
- Move further along parade ground and on your left is Cochin Club.
- Come back on Church road and further ahead on your right is David Hall.
St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi
Travelers know St Francis Church of kochi as the first burial place of Vasco de Gama. Later, Portuguese shifted his grave to Lisbon. The place where he was originally buried is still marked and enclosed by steel pipes.
St Francis Church is a simple and elegant building. Giant rain trees always make a mandatory frame to this church in pictures.
Bastion Bungalow
Bastion Bungalow is a Dutch Heritage building located near Vasco da Gama square. It was built in 1667 in Indo-European style of architecture with Kerala tile roofing and a wooden veranda on the first floor.
When we visited, it was undergoing its rebirth as heritage Museum. It was opened to public in February 2016 and it displays sculptures by Kerala artists.
David Hall, Fort Kochi
David Hall is also a Dutch heritage building, built in 1695. Today it is an art gallery cum coffee shop today. It also serves excellent wood fired pizzas in its well maintained garden which has a well and big mango trees. Its architecture has been retained as it was originally with wooden roofs and long windows.
David Hall got its name from David Koder. He was a well known and much loved Jewish businessman. He lived here with his family for years. Dutch had a close relationship with the Jews as a trading community and this might have been a friend’s gift to other. Koder House belonged to this gentleman only.
From David Hall, turn right and reach on Dutch Cemetery road where you will first see Thakor’s House, then Dutch cemetery and Maritime Museum.
Thakur House, Fort Kochi
Thakur House is near the Dutch Cemetery road. It is an 18th century Dutch building. Today, a visitor can appreciate only the long spread greens and bay windows of this elegant and sparkling white colored house.
Yet, it is quite possible to imagine the interiors of that era with wooden floors, spacious rooms and halls, high ceilings, cooled gently with a sea breeze which has not stopped or changed a bit since then till today.
Dutch built this building in 17th CE as a club and community cente. It passed through a few hands and finally came to a well known tea trading firm Bahadur Thakur and Company. Since then, this is the residence of Thakur family.
Bishop House, Fort Kochi
Bishop House- Bishop House at Fort Kochi is the residence of the Catholic Bishop of Kochi diocese. When Portuguese arrived in Kerala, they practiced and preached Catholicism which was different from the Syrian Christian Faith who were living there with more antiquity of time. Portuguese established a fort in Kochi in 1503 and built this house as their Governor’s residence in 1506. Later on , from 1557 it was used as residence of Bishop of Kochi Diocese.
Catholicism has been practiced and preached in Kochi and its neighboring areas since the the beginning of 16th century, with the arrival of the Portuguese. The Portuguese established their fort in Kochi in 1503 and for many subsequent decades, Catholic missionaries accompanied every Portuguese ship that traveled to Kochi.
It is a big building with greener greens, large rooms, romantic wooden staircases, stained glass windows, reminding visitors of the abundance of space, time and wealth of olden times. It also has an Indo-Portuguese museum.
- Now continue your walking tour on Ridsdale Road along Parade Ground, take a right turn on Bastion Street and visit Vasco House.
- Further ahead on Bastion Street, visit Santa Cruz Basilica.
Vasco House, Fort Kochi
Vasco House- There was a great demand for black pepper in European countries. The sea route to India from Europe was not discovered by then. Hence, Arab traders bought it from Kochi and took to Arab. From there, they supplied it to Europe.
Vasco Da gama left Lisbon on 8th July, 1497 to find the sea route to Malabar, the source of this spice and and he reached Kappad near Kalicut (Kozhikode) on 20th May 1498 after ten months of brutal journey.
Vasco died of Malaria in this house after his third voyage in 1524. He was buried in St Francis church. Later, his grave was shifted to Portugal.
There is no historical evidence of him living in this house but it is part of Kochi lore. Today, Mr Santosh Tom owns this house and runs a home-stay here. The wooden ceiling, stone staircase and large windows are still intact.
- Return back on Bastion Street towards Parade Ground and take a right turn on Princess Street.
- On your left you will see SpiceFort and one other hotel which were originally part of extended Koder house.
Koder House, Fort Kochi
Koder House– Koders was a wealthy jew business family of Kochi who lived here till formation of Israel. It was originally a Portuguese building. Koders purchased it from Dutch. It is a heritage hotel now. It houses an elegant wooden staircase, wooden flooring and many carved wooden furniture from that time in its large and spacious rooms with Belgium glasses on its windows.
Koder House is a sea facing heritage hotel at present, near the Children’s park at Fort Kochi. Koders- a wealthy Jewish family resided in this 19th century building. After the formation of Israel in 1948, members of the Koder family moved to Israel.
A wooden bridge over the street connects this house with another large house. You can still see that bridge today. The extension house also is a hotel now – Spice Fort.
A room connected this extension to another big house. You can go and have ice-cream in this third extension house and request to see the interiors which are just as they were.
Adjacent to the Koder House is Old Harbor Bungalow and in front is a nice little children’s park to let the kids have fun.
Spend evening at Sea watching Chinese Fishing Nets and a lovely sunset.
Chinese Fishing Nets of Kochi
The iconic photograph of Fort Kochi is the one showing sunset through Chinese Fishing Nets.
Chinese traded with many ports in Kerala. However , we see these Chinese nets only in Fort Kochi.
Operated by a team of 5-6 fishermen, it works on the principal of weights. Nets are left immersed in water for long to catch fish. Later, men pull up this fish-filled net by applying more weight on the pole holding the net and thus bringing it up.
The beach is not worthy but seeing these nets and the sunset through these nets is surely a must thing to do in Kochi.
Old Harbour Hotel, Old lighthouse, Bristow Hotel, are other boutique heritage hotels to look, appreciate and fill the digital dude. Brunton Boatyard is a hotel in Fort Kochi on a former British boat-building yard.
Time to call it a day . Tomorrow is another walking day in Mattancherry.
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