The historical monuments of Kerala are distributed across a highly diverse physical geography. The state is a narrow strip of land wedged between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats mountain range to the east.
Coastal monuments, such as the forts at Thalassery, Kannur, and Bekal, are perched on rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean, originally chosen for maritime surveillance. Moving inland to the midlands, palaces and temples are nestled amid rolling hills, dense coconut groves, and complex river systems. In the high altitudes of the Western Ghats, ancient caves and tribal heritage sites are surrounded by dense tropical forests and shola grasslands. This varied geography means that Kerala's monuments are inextricably linked to the natural environment.