The commercial centre of the state Kochi is in Ernakulam. With the best natural harbour in the world, Ernakulam was a major centre of trade with a variety of traders from the Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Ernakulam has the historic Fort Kochi. Before it became the first European settlement in India, Ernakulam was a small fishing village. As the days went by, the character of the village changed. It became a city of culture and the European influences can be seen from the examples of Indo-European architecture that still exist. India's oldest church, the St. Francis Church, is in Ernakulam. Built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan Friars, initially of timber, it was reconstructed in stone in 1779 by the Protestant Dutch.

Chinese Fishing Nets/Vasco da Gama Square :
These huge cantilevered fishing nets are the legacy of one of the first visitors to the Malabar Coast. Erected here between 1350 and 1450 AD by traders from the court of Kublai Khan, these nets are set up on teak wood and bamboo poles. The best place to watch the nets being lowered into the sea and catch being brought in is the Vasco da Gama Square, a narrow promenade that runs along the beach. The Square is an ideal place to idle, with stalls serving fresh delicious seafood, tender coconut etc.

Pierce Leslie Bungalow:
This charming mansion was the office of Pierce Leslie & Co., coffee merchants, founded in 1862. A representative of the Fort Kochi colonial bungalow, this building reflects Portuguese, Dutch and local influences. Characteristic features are wood panels that form the roof of the ground floor, arched doorways, carved doors and sprawling rooms. Waterfront verandahs are an added attraction. puram on the way to Malappuram from Perinthalmanna.

Koder House: This magnificent building constructed by Samuel S. Koder of The Cochin Electric Company in 1808 is a supreme example of the transition from colonial to Indo-European architecture. Features like verandah seats at the entrance, floor tiles set in a chess board pattern, red coloured brick like facade, carved wood furniture and a wooden bridge connecting to a separate structure across the street are all unique to this bungalow.

Santa Cruz Basilica: This historic church was built by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. In 1795 it fell into the hands of the British when they took over Kochi, and was demolished. About a hundred years later Bishop Dom Gomez Ferreira commissioned a new building at the same site in 1887. The church was proclaimed a Basilica in 1984 by Pope John Paul II.

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