Colombo Fort Area & Lighthouse

Colombo Fort was the original walled city built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and later expanded by the Dutch and British. Today the walls are long gone but the district retains a concentration of colonial-era buildings, including the old lighthouse at the southern tip of the Colombo port breakwater. The current lighthouse, a red-and-white striped tower built in 1952, stands 27 metres tall and is visible from Galle Face Green. The surrounding Fort district holds the World Trade Centre twin towers, the Cargills department store (the oldest in Sri Lanka), and a cluster of colonial government buildings. The area is a security zone with checkpoints, particularly around the President's House and Naval Headquarters. The best street-level views of the lighthouse are from the breakwater road near the port entrance. Early morning provides the cleanest light for photography before the traffic builds up.