Alamparai Fort

Built during the Mughal era in the late 17th century, the Alamparai Fort once had a 100-metre dockyard stretching into the sea from which zari cloth, salt, and ghee were exported. It was later given to the French before being captured and demolished by the British in 1760 during the Carnatic Wars. Now a ruin slowly being consumed by the sea, the fort sits on a 15-acre coastal site near Kadappakkam village, 50 km from Mahabalipuram, and is a favourite among photographers and off-the-beaten-path travellers.