Mattancherry Palace is the most popular stop over in most visitors' itineraries. ( 10 am -5pm closed Fri). Located right on the road side, it is only a short walk from the Mattancherry Jetty and is only a kilometre south east of Fort Cochin. More famous as the Dutch Palace, The two- storey building was actually erected by the Portuguese to the Raja of Cochin, Vira Kerala varms (1537-61) The simple exteriors conceal a stunning and captivating interior.

The murals adorning som eof the rooms are among the finest examples of Kerals's school of painting. Friezes illustrating stories of Ramayana on the first floor date back to the sixteenth century.

Apart from these stunning paintings, there is also a collection of Dutch maps of Old Cochin, coronation robes of past maharaja, royal palanquins, weapons and furniture. Photography without permission from the Archeological Survey of India is prohibited.

A few hundred meters west of the palace lies the tranquil Jain temple. You can help dish out grain to feed the local pigeons that are fed daily in the afternoon by the temple authorities.