Known for a wonderful mix of beach, culture and colonial past, Galle is one of the prominent cities in Sri Lanka located on the southwestern tip of the island, around 119 Kilometers away from Colombo. Galle is a walled city girdled by strong ramparts and most visited for its popular Dutch fort. Regarded as World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this historic and scenic tourist destination in Sri Lanka is a worthy experience to explore on foot where you shall come across ancient infrastructures, colonial buildings, mosques, grand mansions, and museums. For all right reasons, Galle is an unmissable spot for all sorts of travelers.
This historical city has a number of places and wonders to show you that range from historical monuments to wonderful beach elements. Galle is a best known for its Portuguese-model buildings and the Galle Fort. Galle Fort is a Dutch-made fortress overlooking the ocean with ramparts and is a UNESCO's world heritage site. Various colonial-time splendors are also studded all over the city.
Must-visit places in Galle include Flag Rock, National Museum of Galle, Japanese Peace Pagoda, Unawatuna, Dutch Reformed Church, Historical Mansion Museum, Clock Tower, Galle Lighthouse, St Joseph's Chapel, Independence Memorial Hall, Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, Beira Lake, Viharamahadevi Park, and Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
Even before the advent of western rulers, Galle had bee an important seaport in the country that played a key role in the maritime affairs of Sri Lanka. Merchants from Arab, Persia, Roma, Greek, Malay, India and China were doing their fare through the port of Galle. The stone inscription in three languages, namely Chinese, Tamil, and Persian, was even erected in Galle in 1411 for commemorating Chinese second visit to Sri Lanka. Portuguese was the first to rule the region but had to surrender to the Dutch East India Company who built the current Galle Fort in 1663. British took over the control of Galle in 1796. The region had suffered serious damage from the massive Tsunami in 2004 lately.
It shall be perfect if you visit Galle in its summer months since there is little rain helping you go out and explore its tourist destinations with no trouble. The ideal months to explore Galle are December through April when there shall prevail clear-sky pleasant atmosphere day and night. Monsoon in the region shall happen in the months of May through September. Happily, Galle is suitable for traveling throughout the year despite the change in the climate.
Visiting Galle, one of the major coastal towns of Sri Lanka, can offer you an entertainment-filled holiday experience by a wide range of relaxing, adventurous and educational activities. First and foremost, visiting Galle Fort is mandatory where there is something more than just exploring the fort, like visiting museums, cafes, and shops. Half an hour away, you can go to Hikkaduwa, a popular surfing town. A bit far away, Unawatuna beachfront can offer you stunning scuba diving moments through its PADI dive center. The Flag Rock is perfect for spending some time enjoying the endless ocean views for a while. You have to explore historical museums, temples and the nearby Rumassala bio-diverse region.
Streets of Galle, even inside the Galle Fort, have been studded across with different sorts of shops, cafes, and boutiques that sell a wide variety of things including the local artifacts and souvenirs inspired by the region's culture. Shopping and drifting from shops to shops while you strolling down the pavements are also an interesting part of Galle's visit. A few must-visit shops around Galle are Barefoot the store for clothes and bags, KK The Collection the souvenir shop, Silk Factory, and Orchid shop. You shall get local artifacts from MimiMango, Elephant Walk, and The Three by TPV.
Being an important city in the country, multiple ways of traveling is possible to Galle from all the nearby cities and other prominent regions of the country. Galle is located on the southwestern coastal line, around 119 Kilometers away from Colombo city. From Colombo, it is better to travel by train or bus which is available in plenty. You shall have to take the E01 Southern Express Highway on road. The travel time shall be between two to four hours as per the speed of the train or bus.
