Fort Kochi in two days

The table sets out our usual two days. It works in either order, but avoid putting Mattancherry on a Friday, when both the palace and the synagogue close, or on a Saturday, when the synagogue is closed.

Start at about 6.30 am at the Chinese fishing nets on the point, when the crews are working the great cantilevered nets with their stone counterweights and the overnight catch is being sold on the sand. The nets are believed to have come with traders from China centuries ago, and around a dozen still work along this shore.

Walk south along the seafront past the remains of the Dutch bastions to the Dutch cemetery, then turn inland along Princess Street and Burgher Street, where the houses still show Dutch and Portuguese details. Pass the bungalows around Parade Ground and finish at St. Francis Church, built by the Portuguese in the early 1500s, where Vasco da Gama was buried after his death in Kochi in 1524, before his remains were returned to Portugal. Breakfast in a courtyard cafe.

Drive or take a tuk-tuk 3 km to Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese around 1555 for the Raja of Kochi and later repaired by the Dutch. The bedchamber and coronation hall hold some of the finest Kerala murals, with long scenes from the Ramayana. Photography is not allowed in the mural rooms, and the palace is closed on Fridays.

Walk along Synagogue Lane to the Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568, with its floor of hand-painted Chinese tiles and its glass chandeliers. Shoulders and knees must be covered, and it is closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays. Then explore the spice warehouses of Bazaar Road, where pepper, ginger, cardamom and turmeric are still graded and traded.

Rest through the afternoon heat. In the late afternoon, visit Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, with its painted ceilings, and walk across Parade Ground. At about 5 pm, go to one of Fort Kochi's Kathakali theatres to watch the actors paint their faces, followed by an hour-long performance with an introduction to the gestures.

Kochi's food is the best way into its mixed history. Start early at a fish market or the Ernakulam market with a home cook, buying ingredients, then cook together in a Fort Kochi home: perhaps a fish curry with kudampuli, a vegetable thoran and soft appam. Lunch is what you make. We can arrange the class with a Syrian Christian, Hindu or Kochi Jewish cook, each with different dishes.

In the afternoon, rest or visit the galleries that have grown up in Fort Kochi's warehouses since the first Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2012, or the small Indo-Portuguese Museum. In Biennale years, from December to March, give the whole day to the art. At about 4.30 pm, board a private launch for a sunset trip around the harbour, past Willingdon and Bolgatty islands and the container port, returning to the fishing nets for the last light.

A third day lets you look beyond the old port. The best choice for history lovers is the Muziris heritage trail, about an hour north, where Kerala's ancient spice port once traded with Rome. By car and boat, you visit the Cheraman Juma mosque at Kodungallur, the ruins of the Portuguese fort at Kottappuram, the restored synagogue at North Paravur and the Paliam palace, home of the hereditary prime ministers of the Kochi rajas. Sites keep varying hours and some close on Mondays, so check current status before you travel.

Alternatively, take a day on the backwaters. Alappuzha is about 1.5 hours south, and a private day boat through the canals of Kuttanad, with lunch on board, shows village life on the water without an overnight stay. Birdwatchers can drive to Thattekad, the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, about 1.5 hours east, for a dawn walk with a local bird guide. In Biennale years, the third day is best given to the art venues you did not reach.

Fort Kochi has many small cafes and restaurants, and some of its best food is in hotels and homes. Look for appam with stew, karimeen pollichathu, prawn and crab roasts, Syrian Christian beef fry and duck roast, and Kochi Jewish dishes. You can buy fish from the crews at the nets and have it cooked at a stall nearby. We suggest at least one home-cooked lunch, which hotels cannot match.

For two nights, stay at Brunton Boatyard, a CGH Earth hotel on the harbour where every room faces the shipping channel, or The Malabar House, an intimate, art-filled heritage hotel near Parade Ground. For a large resort with a pool, the Taj Malabar Resort & Spa on Willingdon Island is a short boat or car ride away.

• Brunton Boatyard: harbour views, heritage style, walkable
• The Malabar House: small, quiet, art-filled
• Taj Malabar Resort & Spa: large resort across the water

Fort Kochi is hot and humid for much of the year, so walk early and late and rest in the middle of the day. Tuk-tuks are everywhere for short hops; agree the fare before you start or ask your guide to arrange them. The state ferry and the Kochi Water Metro cross the harbour to Ernakulam cheaply and are a pleasant local experience.

Dress modestly for churches, the synagogue and temples. Many old houses are private homes, so ask before photographing people and doorways. City traffic can be slow, so allow 90 minutes or more to the airport. If you have a third day, add the Muziris heritage trail to the north or a day trip to the backwaters at Alappuzha, about 1.5 hours south.

Carry water, a hat and small change for entry fees and tuk-tuks, and wear sandals that slip off easily for the synagogue and churches.