Galle

Galle’s fort, built by the Portuguese and later fortified by the Dutch, still forms the heart of this historic southwestern coastal city, its ramparts enclosing cobbled streets, churches and boutique villas. Walking the walls at sunset, with the Indian Ocean on one side and the old town’s rooftops on the other, is one of the south coast’s simple, reliable pleasures. Restaurants and small galleries have moved into converted colonial buildings inside the fort without crowding out its older, quieter character.