The fort of Galle, Sri Lanka, is UNESCO World Heritage Site. About 500 families lived there under Dutch rule inside the fortified walls—the public buildings, military facilities, churches, administrative centers, and warehouses still carry the history. Moreover, as you can see today, the fort offers well-preserved colonial architecture influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, who started occupying it in 1505 until 1948.
The Road Trip to Galle
We were heading to Galle from Yala to Galle by private car. It is about 112 miles (184 km), but it took us 5+ hours since we made a couple of extra stops. It was a great adventure driving experience. The road took us through winding up and down the coastal road and was a very pleasant, if not breathtaking, journey, where we glanced at some of the less visited beaches and towns along this stretch of southern Sri Lankan coastline.
We passed through Tissa, the short name of Tissamaharama, where we made a stop and visited Yatala Wehera, one of the oldest temples in that region. Green paddy fields surrounded Tissa Stupa, and also strolled along the beautiful Tissa Lakeside walkway was also interesting. The beautiful trees in the lake were caught in my camera.
Quick Stops On The Way
We made another stop at Ambalantota, where we had our buffet lunch, a typical Sri Lankan menu. I kind of liked the food but did not want to overload and get lazy/sleepy moving forward. We also made a couple of stops. The most remarkable was Dickwella, it is a small coastal market town in the Matara district in the Southern province of Sri Lanka, located 22 km east of Matara city, where we made another stop to visit Matara Fort, which was built in 1560 by the Portuguese and later re-built by the Dutch in 1640.
Arrival in Galle
Our final destination was Galle Fort; to approach it, we passed through the town and entered the fort through an iconic gate. Beautiful colonial buildings inside. UNESCO recognizes the Fort as World Heritage Site. I am sure among all the places in Southern Sri Lanka; I absolutely loved Galle. It was one of my favorites. The historic old town inside the fortified wall is the most beautiful site in the country.
Sightseeing Activities
I was wandering around the Dutch Clocktower, seeing the International Cricket stadium from the top, old churches, and museums, and walking through the narrow roads was also interesting. Finally, I walked on the massive Fort wall in the evening and observed the sunset also the beautiful view of the Indian Ocean.
I really enjoyed my day here; the weather was perfect but not picture-perfect for photography. The Lighthouse was beautiful from a far distance so was the snow-white Galle Fort Mosque. There were places to stay inside the fort, like Rampart Hotel, but I can’t tell how expensive it would be. I planned to return to Colombo after sunset, so no effort was made toward that front.
I definitely recommend adding Galle to your itinerary as it’s an easy day trip from Colombo, Yala, or other beach resorts along the coast.
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