Galle Beach is located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, around 130km from Colombo. It takes about 1hr 30mins to drive from Colombo to Galle or 3hrs using the longer route, which is more scenic, around 4hrs by bus, and 1hr 45 minutes by train.
Galle Beach is known for its quaint charm that always seems to attract visitors over and over again. Galle is the perfect blend of tradition and culture. Galle beach has a carefully preserved culture. It has Dutch buildings from the colonial era that have been well-taken care of through the years, which you should explore when you visit the area. Galle remains to be the largest fortress in Asia to this day.
One interesting aspect about Galle is that it has been linked to King Solomon’s reign. Galle is thought to represent Tarshish in the Bible, and cinnamon has been Sri Lanka’s principal export since 1400 BC.
Galle is famous for its stilt fishermen. Observing fishermen as they sit on their poles firmly entrenched in the seafloor against the backdrop of the sun is one of the most beautiful images in this region of Sri Lanka.
Galle is famously known as the walled city with a fort that has been standing strong since the sixteenth century.
Things to do in Galle Beach include:
- Visit the Galle Lighthouse that is one of the most picturesque places in Galle. The white lighthouse with a background of blue ocean, blue skies, green paddy fields, and golden sand on the shores makes it picture-worthy.
- Indulge in local delicacies like dal curry, grilled calamari, seared yellowfin tuna, and pol roti.
- Visit the Turtle Hatchery, where you will see little turtles, and you might even have the chance of releasing a baby turtle into the sea.
- Visit the Old Dutch Hospital where the wounded and sick used to go to during colonial times.
- Visit Galle Harbor to see a lineup of beautiful sailing yachts that have docked at the port.
- Visit the Maritime Archeology Museum that houses century-old items gotten from shipwrecks, boats, and ships.
- Visit the Dutch Fort that was constructed in the late 16th century. Also known as the Galle Fort, which is not a landmark but also a major attraction in Galle.
- Visit the Historical Mansion Museum that houses typewriters, cameras, and antique jewellery. The Historical Mansion Museum is famous for its collection of traditional crafts like beeralu lace embroidery.
- Visit the Dutch Reformed Church that was built in 1755 and is one of the most prominent colonial-era buildings in the Galle.
- Go whale watching.
- Take part in water activities like snorkelling and scuba diving.
Galle is an all-year-round destination because of its perfect temperatures, between 25 degrees Celcius to 31 degrees Celcius, throughout the year.
Galle Beach is perfect for relaxing, and it is protected from big waves, which makes it ideal for swimming.