South Coast
Galle
A Dutch-built fort on a headland, still lived in, with ramparts you can walk the whole way round and a working lighthouse at the corner.
- From Colombo
- 2 hours
- Good for
- Architecture · Evenings · Shopping
The fort empties of day-trippers around five and fills with people who live there. That hour on the ramparts, with the light going and the cricket still running on the green, is the reason to stay a night rather than pass through.
The expressway from Colombo takes under two hours. The old coast road takes four and is the better drive.
Routes that include Galle
6 daysSouth Coast & Whales
Galle Fort's Dutch ramparts, blue whales off Mirissa, stilt fishermen at Koggala and enough unstructured beach time to make the rest of it land.
from$780pp
See the route
3 daysGalle & Colombo Weekender
Three days on the west and south coast for stopover passengers, long-layover travellers and anyone with a spare weekend at either end of a work trip.
from$310pp
See the route