Galle Fort Guide – Exploring Sri Lanka

We didn’t make it to the Galle Fort until close to the end of our stay, but were glad we did go! The fort is located on a rocky peninsula that juts out from the city of Galle. Only about 35 km from our place in Weligama, a motorbike ride was around an hour away. 

If you don’t want to ride a motorbike around Sri Lanka – which is understandable – Galle should still be easy to reach via train, tuk-tuk, or taxi. We got into an accident just days before riding to Galle, but to be honest, you might feel a little nervous with any of the transportation options. There are some crazy drivers on the road! Ultimately, we chose to go by motorbike because it was the most flexible option. 

South Coast of Sri Lanka

Galle Fort Guide – Explore Sri Lanka Day Trip

We set out for Galle around mid-morning with the intention of grabbing something to eat while in the fort. As usual for this time of the year, the weather was a little dreary but not rainy, making for a pleasant ride along the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

Crossing the Bridge in Weligama Sri Lanka

The traffic wasn’t too bad until we were within a few km of the fort. Luckily, coming from the south you can get to the fort and avoid driving through the congested city interior; whereas through the north, you will ride through a congested city of over a hundred thousand residents.

Motorbiking The Sri Lankan Coast
Exterior of Galle Fort Sri Lanka

We crossed through the walls and parked in a small parking lot at the Ambalama in the northeast section of the fort. There is no fee for parking, and we had no trouble finding a space. We were visiting during the off-season though, so it may be more crowded at other times of the year.

IMG11391

Historic Colonial Streets

Walking down the historic streets with no real direction in mind other than to find someplace to grab a bite to eat, the charm of the fort presented itself. Although the fort is over 400 years old, it still remains in good repair and continues its lively operations. The interior of the fort is filled with homestays, restaurants, religious and municipal buildings, museums, and residencies.

Road inside Galle Fort Sri Lanka

Our first stop was a unique, free museum that showcased various trinkets and artifacts from Galle’s past. While hard to get good information on many of the pieces, it still is very interesting. It also doubled as a jeweler and we were able to see some of the tools used to polish the semi-precious stones.

Free Museum Galle Fort Sri Lanka
Free Museum Galle Fort Sri Lanka Clocks
Free Museum Galle Fort Sri Lanka Artifacts
Raw materials at a Jewelers in Galle Fort Sri Lanka

Upon leaving the museum, we were really hungry so we stopped by the first place that seemed reasonable. The place seemed nice, and my food was pretty good – Fish and Chips – nothing special, but it was good. Bri, however, ordered garlic bread and was very disappointed. I had assumed that she was just being a little picky, but upon trying it myself – no, it was just bad. Ultimately, the meal cost 1200 LKR (~$8.20) for us.

A Quick Lunch in Galle

This was a problem we encountered frequently while in Sri Lanka – poor food. Colombo impressed us with the quality and variety of the food we could get – offering a wide variety of Indian, Sri Lankan, and South Asian dishes. But as we progressed down the coast, we found the quality dropped severely. Fish was usually decent, but nothing catering to locals seemed to be great – cold, poorly spiced, very starch heavy, and lacking in fruits and vegetables.

We can’t be sure here, but it could be that many locals do not go out to eat frequently, and thus the local establishments cater to tourists who don’t know any better. More expensive eateries could have decent food, but you will pay around $10 for a meal that should have only cost around $4.

So while the meal was satisfactory for me, Bri was still feeling ravenous, and thus we made our way towards an ice cream shop we had previously researched.

Picturesque Landmarks

Along the way, we happened upon a few key landmarks, the first being the Meeran Mosque. The building does not look like a normal mosque, but rather more like a church. This is due in part to Dutch colonialism, which encouraged the more European style architecture that is prominent throughout the fort.

Mosque in Galle Fort Sri Lanka

The Galle lighthouse is across from the mosque sitting on the southern end of the promontory. We found a few vendors trying to sell trinkets, but unlike most touristy vendors, they left us alone which was nice. Instead, we were able to take in the views of Galle Bay and the lighthouse.

Galle Fort Lighthouse Sri Lanka

We were surprised that people were swimming in the jetties just below the wall. The water was rough in the bay, but the rocks surrounding the fort made for a safe place to swim.

Swimming Bay by Galle Fort Sri Lanka
Sea Wall Galle Fort Sri Lanka

After viewing the lighthouse, we returned to our previous goal of finding the ice cream shop: Dairy King. The shop features homemade ice cream, which was quite good. We each got our own, at 250 SLR each coming out to ~$3.41 total. I got coconut flavor, while Bri got passion fruit flavor.

We then wandered down Church Street, where we found a friendly – though skinny – cat that enjoyed our attention.

Dairy King Galle Fort Sri Lanka
Coconut and Passion Fruit Ice Cream
Friendly Cat in Galle Fort Sri Lanka

The fort was first constructed by the Portuguese in 1588 and was later fortified by the Dutch during their colonial period in 1649. The city of Galle itself, however, has been acknowledged since at least 125 CE by Ptolmey as a major port for trade between Asia and Europe.

Ornate Door in Galle Fort Sri Lanka

Other Galle Fort Activities

Wandering the fort is a great way to spend the afternoon. We made a stop for some sunglasses, which Briana, unfortunately, lost on a previous outing. You can also find local artists from whom to buy paintings – which we did. Ultimately, we were tired and only intended for a half-day, so we went light on the activities. However, for those that are interested, you can check out:

  • The Dutch Reformed Church
  • Great Warehouse
  • National Maritime Museum
  • Old Dutch Hospital
  • All Saints Anglican Church
  • Clock Tower

Wandering, we eventually found ourselves back along the seawall and ambled towards the ramparts that face the city. The wind here was pretty substantial, which encouraged the locals to try to fly kites. Some of them were very big.

Indian Ocean from Galle Fort
Black Birds At Galle Fort
Along the Sea Wall at Galle Fort
Locals Launching a Kite At Galle Fort Sri Lanka

Sitting about twenty feet below the wall on the sea-side was a tomb as well. It is known as the Muslim Saint’s Tomb. I don’t know what else to say about it unfortunately, I am sure there is information somewhere, but what I can find is all in Singhalese.

Saint's Tomb Galle Fort

The ramparts give a nice, sweeping view of the area in front of the fort and the sprawl of Galle before it. We enjoyed the overlook before finally heading back to the motorbike to make our way home. We decided that we didn’t want to risk driving at night again.

Galle Fort Wall
Clock Tower at Galle Fort

Ultimately, Galle Fort is a great place to visit if you’re in the South of Sri Lanka. And even if you’re up near Colombo, it is only a couple hour’s ride away. For those really wanting to experience Galle in a slow way, you can stay in a number of homestays within the walls of the fort for an authentic experience.

Bri in Galle Sri Lanka
Church in Galle Fort Sri Lanak
Monkey in Galle Fort
Leaving Galle

Galle Fort

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