<p>Historical maritime charts and maps from the sixteenth century onwards are a great source of spatiotemporal information about coastal areas. However, the invaluable spatial elements (coastline, shoals, lagoons, etc.) contained within them have not been much explored in geomorphic studies. The present study employs a multi-perspective approach to examine centuries-old cartographic documents and historical texts to understand multi-centennial coastal dynamics (300–400&#xa0;years) in a few coastal tracts of central Kerala. By combining a quasi-quantitative spatial approach, existing quantitative geospatial models and interpretive techniques in remote sensing, this study enables the integration and analysis of geographical data of a heterogeneous nature. This study traces the development of spits and barrier islands in the region over a few centuries. The study also identifies a cyclic pattern of significant retreat and advancement of the coastline over the past 300&#xa0;years, underscoring the relevance of multi-centennial coastline data in forecasting future changes. Early maps have proven invaluable in identifying vulnerable coastal zones by revealing long-term geomorphic patterns that are often missed in the relatively short timeframes captured by satellite imagery. Moreover, early cartographic data available for various parts of the world hold significant potential to advance our understanding of multi-centennial coastal dynamics on a global scale.</p>