VANAMCOVE 
Anchuthengu
Old English fort and anchorage
Why this weekend?
The day-by-day plan
- Morning arrival
- Fort bastions
- Lighthouse
- Beach & backwater
- Onward or return
Geography & terrain
Anchuthengu — the old Anjengo — lies on the Kerala coast 25 km north of Varkala, where the sea meets the backwater country of Thiruvananthapuram district; the crumbling Anjengo Fort and its lighthouse sit above the beach and the coconut palms of the fishing village.
History & culture
The East India Company planted its first permanent station on Kerala's coast here in the 1690s — the fort's bastions and the old cemetery mark the factory-town that traded the region's pepper for two centuries; the town's name ('five coconut trees') and the church, the graveyard and the fort's memories of the Anjengo queens keep the colonial story vivid.
Where to stay
Budget
₹1,500–3,500/nightMid-range
₹3,500–7,000/nightComfort
₹7,000+/nightThings to do
Fort bastions
Lighthouse
Fishing beach
Backwater mouth
Colonial graves
Eat & drink
- Karimeen pollichathu
- Appam with stew
- Malabar porotta
- Sadya on banana leaf
Getting there
- Fly
- Kochi (COK) / Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) / Kozhikode (CCJ)
- Train
- Kochi, Kollam, Kozhikode junctions
- Road from Kochi
- varies by district — 50–400 km
- Getting around
- Autos, KSRTC buses, ferry networks
Budget snapshot
- Total
- ₹6,000–14,000 (2 days)
- Per day · Stay
- ₹1,500–7,000/night
- Per day · Food
- ₹600–1,000
- Per day · Transport
- ₹600–1,000
- Per day · Activities
- ₹1,000–1,400
Month by month
Practical info
- Language: Malayalam (English understood in tourist spots)
- Best window: Sep–Mar
- Connectivity: good 4G in towns
- UPI/cards widely accepted; keep small cash for hill and market stops
Practical tips
- The fort is a short, ruined visit — the sea view is its reward
- Mornings hold the calmest water at the backwater mouth
- Pairs with Varkala's cliffs for the coastal day
Frequently asked questions
The site of the East India Company's first permanent Kerala station — the Anjengo Fort and lighthouse above a fishing beach.
It anchored the pepper trade from the 1690s and holds the region's oldest colonial memory.
Yes — the fort, lighthouse and beach walks fill it comfortably with Varkala.
Old English fort and anchorage
Take the break. We'll take the planning.
Tell us your dates, budget and travel style — we'll build your Anchuthengu plan with day-by-day routing, stays, food and bookings.