A One-Day Fort Kochi Route to the Chinese Fishing Nets

Begin at Vasco da Gama Square, a narrow walkway along Fort Kochi beach where you can view the Chinese Fishing Nets. Known in Malayalam as Cheenavala, the nets are a landmark of Fort Kochi, and Kerala Tourism says they are believed to have reached Kochi between 1350 and 1450 AD.

Look at the structures from the waterfront: the nets stand about 10 metres high, with each cantilevered net spread over an area of about 20 metres. Teak-wood and bamboo poles support the mechanism, while counterweights—usually stones about 30 centimetres in diameter—help operate it.

Fishing with the nets is usually done in the morning and early evening. If you want to see them in use, plan your waterfront stop around one of those periods. From here, continue to St. Francis Church and the nearby heritage streets.

St. Francis Church is a practical next stop after the waterfront, with opening hours that vary by day. Visitor hours are Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Keep the day’s timing in mind before setting out: Sunday services are at 7:30 a.m. in English and 10:00 a.m. in Malayalam. The church’s visitor hours begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays.

From a hotel in Mattancherry, St. Francis Church is about 17 minutes by car. After your visit, take time to walk through the surrounding heritage streets before heading to Santa Cruz Basilica.

Mattancherry Palace and Paradesi Synagogue offer another heritage stop in the area, with the palace and synagogue bringing together distinct parts of Mattancherry’s history.

Santa Cruz Basilica adds a second church visit to the route, with a history that reaches back to the founding of the Diocese of Cochin. Pope Paul IV raised Santa Cruz Church to cathedral status in 1558, when the diocese was founded as the second in India.

The cathedral was consecrated on November 19, 1905, by Dom Sebastiao Jose Pereira, Bishop of Damao, and was raised to basilica status by a decree dated December 19, 1984.

Incredible India describes Santa Cruz Basilica as a historic Roman Catholic church in Fort Kochi and gives visiting hours as 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Allow for the midday closure when arranging this stop; the split hours make it sensible to visit in the morning or later in the afternoon.

If your visit coincides with a service, Sunday Masses in English are at 5:30 a.m., 6:45 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Weekday Masses are at 6:00 a.m., 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Leave room in the itinerary for a break between the church visits and the final walk by the shore.

End the route at Fort Kochi Beach, returning to the waterfront after the church visits. The beach also connects naturally with the earlier stop at Vasco da Gama Square, where you viewed the fishing nets. If you are weighing other coastal stops in the area, a comparison of beaches in Kochi covers Fort Kochi, Cherai and Kuzhupilly.

Before you go, check the official site for current church visiting hours and service schedules.

Where can you see the Chinese Fishing Nets?

Vasco da Gama Square, a narrow walkway along Fort Kochi beach, is a place to view them. Fishing with the nets is usually done in the morning and early evening.

What are the opening hours at St. Francis Church?

Hours vary by day: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

When can you visit Santa Cruz Basilica?

Visiting hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

How should you order the stops?

Start at the waterfront and Chinese Fishing Nets, continue to St. Francis Church and Santa Cruz Basilica, then finish at Fort Kochi Beach.