Forts & Harbour Towns

Three European powers fortified this coast in succession. The Portuguese arrived in 1505 and built the first walls at Colombo, Galle and Jaffna. The Dutch took over from 1656 and rebuilt almost everything in coral and granite — Galle Fort is the great surviving example. The British inherited the lot in 1796 and, mostly, left it alone.

That benign British neglect is why Sri Lanka has one of the most complete sets of pre-19th-century European fortifications anywhere in Asia. Galle is the headline. Jaffna, Trincomalee and Batticaloa are the quieter, equally rewarding chapters.