Galle

Galle is 18 km distance from Hikkaduwa.
The bay of Galle is a natural harbour which was first used by Arab traders. Later, the Portuguese, the Dutch and finally the British occupied Galle. All these colonists, but especially the Dutch, who built up the fort to its present size, changed the city to suit their own designs.

Under the Portuguese and the Dutch, Galle was the most important port in Ceylon; today it is the forth biggest city in Sri Lanka.
Under British rule the significance of Galle dwindled, as they concentrated instead on developing the port of Colombo. However, the opening of the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Kogalla has boosted the importance of Galle as a port over the past ten years.

Conclude your stroll through the fort with a refreshment at the "Aman Galla Hotel", the former "New Oriental Hotel", an original British colonial hotel.

You can reach Galle by train; the express train takes approximately 30 minutes, the slow train 45 minutes.
A convenient way of travelling is to hire a taxi or tuc tuc. The driver will give you also a sightseeing tour round the city and will be able to point out many fascinating hidden things.

Map of the Galle Fort