Alamparai Fort is a crumbling 17th-century sea fort tucked along the East Coast Road, about 100 km from Chennai and 50 km from Kalpakkam. Built by the Nawab of Arcot as a Mughal trading outpost for salt and cloth, it later passed through French and British hands before falling into ruin. Today, it's an unguarded ruin free to explore, sitting beside a quiet, untouched beach that's perfect for a picnic. It's a favorite day-trip spot for bikers on ECR, with a scenic ride along the way. A few notes for future visitors: Skip the summer months as it gets brutally hot, and there are no shops nearby. Please carry your trash back with you. This is a heritage site and a fragile coastline. So, help keep both intact. Highway construction is underway near the fort. If you're reading this in 2026 or later, expect diversions. For what it's worth, riding under the tamarind and banyan trees lining the old road was one of the best parts of the trip. We hope you still catch a bit of that.
