Anjengo Fort, known locally as Anchuthengu Fort, is about 13 km south of Varkala's cliff, roughly 30 minutes by bike. The English East India Company built it between 1696 and 1699, and it has a lighthouse right beside it. It's the best half-day south of Varkala, and it pairs naturally with Ponnumthuruthu island.
Two names, one place. "Anjengo" is how the British pronounced Anchuthengu, and you'll see both on signs and maps and in this post. Locals will know what you mean either way.
How far is Anjengo Fort from Varkala?
About 13 km south of the cliff, roughly 30 minutes at an easy pace. The round trip is well inside the daily kilometre allowance on anything we rent; the figures are on the pricing page.
Anchuthengu sits on a narrow strip between the sea and the backwater, so the last part of the ride has water close by on both sides, a little like Kappil to the north.
What is the history of Anjengo Fort?
The English East India Company set up a trading post at Anchuthengu in the 1680s with the permission of the Rani of Attingal, and began building the fort in January 1696. It was finished in 1699 and became the Company's first permanent post on this coast, trading mainly in pepper and cotton cloth.
In 1721 relations with the local population broke down. A Company party travelling to Attingal was attacked, and the fort was besieged from April until reinforcements arrived in October. The Attingal revolt is often described as the first organised uprising against British rule in Kerala.
The fort later served as an ammunition store and signalling station during the Anglo-Mysore wars. What survives today is the laterite walls and bastions: compact, quiet, and with far more history than the site's condition suggests.
What is there to see at the fort?
The walls and bastions, a look-out over the sea, and the old European graves nearby, which are as much part of the story as the fort itself. It isn't a big site, and most people spend under an hour.
Go in the morning or late afternoon. In the middle of the day the laterite holds the heat, and you'll want water and a hat whenever you go.
Can you climb the Anjengo lighthouse?
Lighthouses in India are run by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, and many open to visitors for limited hours. Opening times and entry fees change, and we haven't found a published schedule we trust, so check at the gate or ask locally on the day rather than planning around a time.
The current light was commissioned in 1988, according to the lighthouse directorate; older dates you see quoted refer to earlier lights here. If it's open, the climb is worth it for the view: fort, backwater and coast laid out at once.
What are the fort's opening hours?
Travel sites commonly quote 9 am to 5 pm, but we haven't seen an official notice confirming it. Go in the morning and you're very unlikely to have a problem either way.
Can you combine Anjengo with Ponnumthuruthu island?
Yes, and it's the best use of a morning. Ponnumthuruthu, the little temple island in the backwater, is about 9 km from Varkala and reached by a short boat ride. Both are south of town, so they make one outing. Five rides worth taking from Varkala covers each, and three days in Varkala puts them together into a day.
Is the road to Anchuthengu OK on a scooter?
Yes, if you're a confident rider. Part of the route is faster road, where a geared motorcycle is less work, and the traffic behaves differently from Varkala's. Watch for buses that don't give way, sand on the road near the coast, and fishing villages where people and dogs walk in the road.
Ride back before dark. Roads outside town are poorly lit, and unfamiliar ones are worse. If you're not sure which vehicle suits you, scooter or motorcycle in Varkala will help you choose.
Is Anjengo Fort worth visiting?
If you like history, yes. It's a genuinely significant place tucked into a fishing village, and you'll probably have it almost to yourself. If you don't, the ride and the island alone are worth the morning.
Collect a scooter or bike from our shop at Hospital Junction (open 6:00 am to 8:30 pm daily) and you can be at the fort before the heat. Heading north instead? Kappil Beach is the equivalent ride up the coast.