Hotels near Galle Face Green

Galle Face Green is a 500-metre strip of lawn between Galle Road and the Indian Ocean, laid out in 1859 by Governor Henry Ward as a racecourse and golf links. It now works as the largest open space in the city. Families arrive around 5pm, kite sellers set up along the sea wall, and the food carts at the southern end start frying isso vadai, a prawn and lentil fritter that costs about LKR 150, roughly 0.45 EUR.

Access is free and the green stays open around the clock. Swimming is not permitted and the surf here is rough, so the draw is the walk, the sea spray and the crowd rather than the water. Weekends fill with cricket games and balloon vendors. Come before 8am on a weekday and you will have the promenade almost to yourself, with fishing boats working the horizon.

Pro Tip: Buy isso vadai from the stall with the longest local queue rather than the first one you reach, and carry small notes. Vendors almost never have change for a LKR 5,000 bill.