The monuments of Kerala are milestones of its exotic and enchanting past a past which echoes with the grandeur of royality and the beauty of rustic simplicity and labour.

Anchuthengu : The historic remains of the fort built by the English East India Company in the 17 th century, and an adjoining cemetery are the notworthy relics of this first majour British trading station on the Malabar coast.
Location: 36 km from Tvm.

Thangasserry : A prized possession of the Portuguese, Dutch and british in sucession, this is a place of historical importance. A light house built in 1902, 18 th centurry churches and stately ruins of Portuguese and Dutch forts hark back to the yester years of Europian imperialism. Location: 5 km from Kollam.

Mannadi : is a village of atmost importance in the history of Kerala's freedom struggle, as the Velu Thampi - the Diwan of travencore, attained martyrdom there in his fight against the British. After leading a brief rebellion against the British, he is said to have ended his life rather than face humiliation. At the place of his martyrdom here is a memmorial dedicated to Velu Thampi. Asword is kept inside and an oil lamp is lit every day.
Location: 13 km from Adoor.

Kaviyoor : The rock temple here is of historical importance and is preserved as a monument by the Archeological Department. Its resemblence to the Pallava style of architecture has prompted historians to date it to a period as early as the 8 th century AD. Location: 5 km east of Thiruvalla.

Dutch Palace : Built by the Portuguese and presented to the Cochin Raja in 1555. The glory of Palace lies in the murals which are in the best traditions of the Hindu temple art. There are scenes from the Indian epics- Ramayana and Mahabharatha.
Location: At Mattancherry.

Hill Palace : Hillpalace, the official residence of the erstwhile Kochi royal family, was built in 1865. The complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional architectural style of Kerala and is surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land with a deer park. A full-fledged ethno-archeolagical museume and Kerala's first ever heritage museume are the main attractions. Displayed inside the thirteen gallaries are oil paintings, 19th century paintings, murals, sculptures in stone and plaster of paris, manusripts, inscriptions and coins from the royal collections.
Accessibility: 13 km from Ekm.

Pallipuram Fort : Built in1503 by the Portuguese also known as 'Aya Kotta'. It is the oldest European monument in India. It was an out post to safegaurd the famous Mussiris Port. In 1661 the Dutch captured the fort and in 1789 the fort was handover to the King of Thiruvathankoor. In 1795 it came under the British. The hexagonal fort is the best-preserved Portuguese bastion. Location: 25 km from Ernakulam.

Lakkidi : Killikkurissimangalam, in lakkidi, the birth place of Kunjan Nambiar, Kerala's famous satirist poet, who is regarded as the progentior of Ottanthullal, the traditional solo dance narration.
Location: Near Ottappalam.

Palakkad Fort : This well preserved Forts date back to 1766 AD. It was built by Hyder Ali of Mysore, supposdly to facilitate communication between Coimbatore and the west coast. Now a protected monument under the Archeological Survey of India.
Location : In down-town Palakkad.

Tirur : This is the birth place of Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language.Thunchanparambu, where the 16 th century poet - scholar was born.
Edakkal Caves : World famous as one of the earliest centers of human habitation. Situated on Ambukutty hills, the walls of caves are decorated with pictorial writings of the New Stone Age.This caves can be reached only after trekking 5 km from Ambalavayal.
Location: 12 km south of Sulthan Bethery.

Thalasserry : In 1683, when the English East India Company established its settlement on the Malabar coast, they built the Thalasserry Fort (1705), as a testimonial of their colonial imperialism. The square fort, with its massive walls, secrete tunnels to the sea and intricately carved huge doors, is an impossing structure.
Location: 22 km from Kannur.

St. Angelo's Fort : This seafront laterite fort was constructed in 1505 AD by the first Portuguese Viceroy, Don Francisco De Almeda. Then the Dutch and later the British captured the fort. The fort, which is now under the Archeological Survey of India, offers fascinating views of the Mappila bay fishing harbour and Dharmadom island. Location: 3 km west of Kannur.

Gundert's bunglow : Dr Herman Gundert, the revered German missionary, scholar and lexicographer lived in this bunglow for 20 years from 1839. It was here that the first Malayalam dictionary and the first Malayalam News Paper- Paschimodayam- took shape.
Location: At Nettur,20 km from Kannur