Colonial Galle in exotic Sri Lanka

 

 

I slowly walked around the intact ramparts of this magnificent colonial city enjoying the coconut trees swaying in the distance, young boys diving from oversized boulders and sweet views of the Sri Lankan coastline. Further down fishermen are trying their luck below the city walls and waving – it seems like everyone is in a good mood to be outdoors and enjoying being on the water. I must confess that I’m enjoying my visit to Colonial Galle in exotic Sri Lanka and loving the historic district.

 

 

What to do and see in Galle’s colonial district

Walking along the historic fort and ramparts of Galle Fort takes you back to its Portuguese history when the magnificent fortress was erected. I walk along the many tiers of grassy walls and enjoy the vistas to the coastline and then back to the interior streets and colonial buildings within the walls. No wonder this intact area of Galle Fort is so well-preserved has been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1988.

 

 

Exploring the ramparts of the fortress and city walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galle fish market

Just outside the fort walls and along the bay front is the daily fish market. Vendors practically park their boats right on the beach and set up impromptu displays of their fresh catch of the day and barking out their goods to anyone listening. I love this fun and colorful market and way of direct selling without having to slew their goods across town to a typical market.

 

 

 

 

 

A buyer comes out of the market below with handfuls of fresh tuna and bundles them up into a tuk tuk for delivery probably to a local restaurant or hotel for tonight’s evening seafood special.

 

 

 

The entry gate to Galle Fort

 

 

 

The historical and colonial town has so many amazing buildings and varied architecture that make the discovery tour of the old center a fun exploration. Many of the old buildings have been converted into museums, hotels, restaurants and shops to attract craftsmen and other local businesses vying for the tourist trade, but it isn’t tacky or overly done like many destinations around the world that makes their unique attractions very unattractive.  It still feels authentic and lived in throughout many areas of the old city center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galle’s architectural past

There are so many beautiful architectural details to capture while touring the historic town of Galle. But I also love to take photographs of people who I bump into and connect with including this boy who was very curious about me taking a photograph of his grandmothers home, isn’t that the sweetest smile?

 

 

Galle’s lighthouse

Towards the point of the city walls is the lighthouse and there are a few jewelry makers in this section of the town getting you to visit their galleries and seeing their craftsmen work on some beautiful pieces of art. It’s fun to visit, but always difficult getting out of these shops without having to buy anything from some of these persistent owners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staying at Jetwing – a luxury resort

While visiting Galle, I stayed at the luxurious Jetwing Lighthouse property just outside the historic center and along the rugged and more exclusive beach area of Galle. It was a perfect stay and very quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of the busy city center.  Jetwing Lighthouse, exudes a wonderful colonial past but with modern amenities, artistic details and craftsmanship to ever room, including my master suite below with expansive views of the pool areas and stunning coastline.

 

 

 

A generous king size bed, extra-large living area and balcony with gorgeous views of the property and coast make this an exceptional stay in Galle. I slept so well on this comfy bed and spent a lot of time on the balcony enjoying my first cups of Sri Lankan tea every morning and evening.

 

 An expansive suite at Jetwing

 

 

Exploring the beaches and coastline here was a real treat especially with hardly a soul exploring this wonderful beach area. I found a lot of areas filled with a slew of exotic sea shells and I couldn’t stop stooping down to collect so many colorful shells. These were my souvenirs from this stay and I love seeing the shells on my bedroom display at home to remind me of a fun day on the beach in Galle.

 

 

 

 

Let me just say that sunset in Galle walking along the beach around Jetwing Lighthouse, was a special treat and I really enjoyed the quiet moments and watching a spectacular end of day in Galle. I think I could easily do this routine for a longer timeframe than my original visit.

 

 

 

I hope that you enjoyed this photo highlight tour of Colonial Galle in exotic Sri Lanka, it’s quite stunning don’t you agree? If you enjoyed viewing this post, can you please help to share it with any of the social media buttons around the post – thanks so much for visiting today!

Please check out these posts on Sri Lanka

10 must try dishes and street food of Sri Lanka

Seeing Sri Lanka in full color

Sri Lanka captured in Black and White

Best family friendly beaches of Sri Lanka

Thank you Jetwing Lighthouse for hosting me on my visit to Galle, all opinions and thoughts are my own and I think this is an exceptional property worth staying in when you visit the historic city.

 

If you like what you see, come and check out my other social media channels for more updates, including Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter