The Portuguese built the first fort at Galle in 1588. The Dutch rebuilt it properly from 1649, with 36 hectares of walls, bastions and a grid of streets inside. The British added the lighthouse. It survived the 2004 tsunami almost untouched — the walls did what they were built to do — and it is still a working town rather than a museum.
Walking the fort
Start on the ramparts at the Flag Rock end in the late afternoon. Local boys dive from the cliffs for tips; cricket is played on any flat surface; families walk the whole circuit at sunset. Inside, Church Street and Pedlar Street have the best of the Dutch colonial houses, several turned into hotels, galleries and cafés. The Dutch Reformed Church of 1755 has floor slabs made from recycled gravestones. The Maritime Archaeology Museum in an old Dutch warehouse is small and good.
Nearby
- Unawatuna — 15 minutes east, a sheltered bay with safe swimming in season.
- Koggala — the lake, the stilt fishermen and the Handunugoda tea estate.
- Hikkaduwa — 30 minutes north, coral, turtles and a livelier strip.
Practical notes
Everything inside the fort is walkable and tuk-tuks are barely necessary. Prices are noticeably higher than elsewhere on the coast. The stilt fishermen at Koggala will ask for payment for photographs — around 500 to 1,000 rupees is normal and it is worth agreeing before you take the picture.
