Galle’s earliest historical existence is traced to Ptolemy’s world map of 125–150 AD when it was a busy port, trading with Greece, Arab countries, China and others. Its mention as a “port of call of the Levant” is made in the cosmography of Cosmas Indicopleustes.

Galle has it all: historic colonial sights, meditative temples, sandy beaches and rivers teeming with wildlife, all of which make this southern seaside escape a must-see on most Sri Lankan travel itineraries. Its origins are ancient; as a seaport it dates back millennia.