The oldest existing European fort in India is a great tourist destination near Cherai. The historical fort was built by the Portuguese in 1503. Later it was captured by the Dutch in 1661 and was sold to the Travancore Kingdom in 1789. The historical monument is hexagonal in shape and is constructed using laterite, lime plaster, and wood. The walls are thickly plastered with mortar to protect from gunfire.
There is an underground cellar that stores gunpowder. There also existed an underground tunnel to escape from enemies during emergencies which are permanently closed now. It would be great to include the fort also on your Cherai tour program.
