Pallippuram Fort known as Ayakkotta or Alikkotta (kotta in Malayalam means fort) was constructed by the Portuguese in 1503. The fort is is hexagonal in shape. The relics of this fort now stand as a bastion of three storeys in height. Inside the fort, the floor is raised to 5 feet from the ground. Underneath this platform, a small cellar opens on to a passage, which runs obliquely from north to south. The cellar is 4 feet high and 7 feet square.
The Portuguese used the Pallippuram Fort as a base to check the ships that ply up and down the Periyar to the Arabian Sea and the cellar was used for storing gunpowder. A church, a hospital, living quarters and other buildings are found near this Fort. This fort was attacked by the Dutch in 1662 and they occupied the fort. The advantageous location of the Pallippuram Fort caught the attention of the Mysore rulers, who tried to purchase it from the Dutch. But the English East India Company interfered and terminated that proposal.
In 1789, the ruler of Travancore made a strategic move and purchased the Pallippuram Fort along with the Kottappuram Fort. After the decline of the Mysore rulers, the English East India Company took possession of the whole Malabar area. Gradually the Fort lost its importance and was abandoned by the military. In 1909, the Government of Travancore erected a memorial in front of the Fort and finally in 1964, it was declared a protected monument, under the Department of Archaeology. The fort is located about 8 km on the North Paravur-Munambam route.
