Galle: Where history meets the Indian Ocean.

Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 16th-century Portuguese and Dutch fortification on a rocky headland. Inside the walls: cobbled lanes, boutique hotels, independent bookshops, and some of the best restaurants on the south coast. Outside: crashing waves, stilt fishermen, and the coastal road south to Unawatuna and beyond.

What to see and do

• Walk the fort ramparts at sunset. Skip the lighthouse crowds and head to Flag Rock instead.
• Peddlar Street for independent boutiques, jewellery, and handloom textiles
• The best lamprais on the south coast (we'll tell you exactly where in your itinerary)
• Day-trip to Unawatuna beach, a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride south
• Dutch Reformed Church, one of the oldest Protestant churches in Sri Lanka

Tips from locals

• Visit early morning or late afternoon. Midday heat inside the walls is brutal.
• Skip the overpriced restaurants on the main drag. The best food is always one lane back.
• Don't take tuk-tuks from the fort entrance. Walk 50m down the road and you'll pay half.