Galle Fort

Galle Fort is a living town inside 17th-century sea walls, on a headland that has been a trading port for over a thousand years. The Portuguese built the first fortifications in the late 1500s; the Dutch, who captured Galle in 1640, rebuilt them into the massive bastions you walk on today. The British left their mark with a clock tower and lighthouse. Unlike many forts, Galle is still inhabited — families, mosques, churches, schools and boutique hotels share its grid of narrow streets. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

Things to do

• Walk the ramparts — the full circuit of about 2.5 km takes an hour at a gentle pace. Do it at sunset when locals come out to fly kites, play cricket and watch divers leap off Flag Rock.
• Galle Lighthouse and the Meeran Mosque — the white lighthouse and the mosque beside it make the fort's best-known view.
• Dutch Reformed Church — one of the oldest Protestant churches in Sri Lanka, its floor paved with old Dutch tombstones.
• Maritime Archaeology Museum and National Museum — small but worthwhile for the history of the port.
• Old Gate — look for the British coat of arms on the outside and the Dutch VOC emblem on the inside.
• Shops and cafés — Church Street, Pedlar Street and Leyn Baan Street are lined with boutiques, galleries, jewellers and cafés.

Where to stay

Staying inside the fort walls is the experience: early-morning walks before the day-trippers arrive and quiet evenings after they leave. Prices are higher than outside. Budget travellers can stay in guesthouses just outside the walls or in Unawatuna, 15 minutes away by tuk-tuk.

How long to stay

One or two nights. Half a day covers the main sights, but the fort is best enjoyed slowly over an evening and a morning.

Getting there

• By train: the coastal line from Colombo Fort takes around 2–3 hours and runs right along the sea for long stretches. Sit on the right-hand side heading south.
• By road: about 1.5–2 hours from Colombo via the Southern Expressway, and roughly 2.5–3 hours from the airport.
• Galle is the natural base for the beaches of Unawatuna, Jungle Beach, Ahangama and Weligama.

When to visit

December to April brings dry weather and calm seas. Galle is a year-round town, though — the fort is still pleasant in the May–September monsoon, just with showers and rough water. The Galle Literary Festival is usually held in January or February.