Introduction
The tranquil waters of the Beautiful backwaters and the palm fringed emerald canals are fast gaining momentum as one of the most popular tourist destinations in India.
Cochin, the Queen of the Arabian Sea presently known as Kochi is an important port in Kerala and is used by most tourists as the pivot to their itinerary to Kerala. They mostly arrive at Kochi first and then move on to their onward destination from Cochin. However, Cochin itself deserves quite an attention as a tourist destination by its own right- its long sandy beaches lined with Chinese fishing nets, numerous churches, synagogues and other leftovers of a colonial past. Endowed with a cluster of small islands and palm fringed waterways, Cochin forms the base of most of the backwaters tours. Boat cruises to Willingdon Island, Mattencherry Place, Bolghatty Island are sure to take your breath away.
Tourist Attractions in Cochin:
Chinese Fishing Nets- Chinese fishing nets, called `cheena vala' in Malayalam, flank the entrance to the Kochi harbour. Some say that traders brought these huge cantilevered fishing nets here from the court of Kublai Khan. Others suppose that they were introduced by the Chinese explorer Zheng He. Cochin is the only place where these nets are to be found outside China. These massive nets almost 10 m high and their silhouette against the coastline in Cochi have become quite a tourist attraction.
Fort Kochi beach- the finest beach in Kochi, this beach is located 12 km from Cochin city and the main attraction of this place is the old fort sporting indo-European architecture which overlooks the beach.
St. Francis Church- St. Francis Church was the first European Church to be built in India. It was earlier dedicated to saint Antony, the then patron saint of the church and remained so till 1663. The Dutch invasion saw the demolition of all the converts and churches except the Franciscans' church which was turned into their government church.
Other Tourist Attractions in Cochin
Backwater Tours, Vasco House, Santa Cruz Basilica, Jewish Synagogue and Jew Town, Bolghatty Palace, Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace), Hill Palace, Palliport (Pallipuram) Fort, Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, Museum of Kerala History, Parikshith Thampuram Museum, Cherai Beach, Veega Land, Marine Drive, Willingdon Island, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
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