Galkissa, which people usually call Mount Lavinia is an old and fun place by the sea in Sri Lanka. It has a mix of old colonial style, beautiful beaches and a lively city feel. Mount Lavinia is a short drive south of Colombo. So you can easily get away from the busy city without having to travel too far.
The town has a rock sticking out into the Indian Ocean. Which separates the busy city part from a long stretch of golden sand beach. For a time people have loved visiting Mount Lavinia. Because it has a special atmosphere where old and new things exist together. You can find heritage mixed with modern restaurants, cool cafes and a relaxed surf culture.
Whether you want to relax on the weekend watch the sunset while eating dinner. Or explore Colombo Mount Lavinia gives you a taste of life by the sea in Sri Lanka with a lot of history. The heart of Mount Lavinia is the Mount Lavinia Hotel. It’s a big and impressive building on the rock cliff that has been a part of the area since 1806. This hotel first built as a country house for Sir Thomas Maitland. He is a who the Governor of Ceylon. It is said that the governor had a romance with a beautiful local dancer named Lovina Aponsuwa.
As night falls Galkissa beach changes into a cool place with candles everywhere. It is a place to go at night if you like the beach in Sri Lanka. You can see the coastline and it is all lit up with lights from the places to eat and drink that are right on the beach. This makes it really nice to take a walk on the beach at night under the stars.
You can sit on the beach in chairs and eat big prawns, calamari and spicy fish that the local fishermen caught. The wind at night is really nice. You can hear music from live bands and local people singing. This makes everyone want to talk to each other and have a time with drinks, like cocktails and ginger beer. Galkissa beach is a place to go if you want to have fun on your last night on the island or if you just want to relax after a busy day of looking around the city.
