Matara Fort

The Dutch, who took Matara from the Portuguese in 1640, built the rampart across the neck of the promontory from 1645 to enclose the town, and after the uprising of 1761 added a separate star-shaped fort on the other bank of the Nilwala to cover the crossing, a compact six-pointed work begun in 1763 and finished in 1765. Both survive. The main fort encloses a working quarter of streets, a Dutch church and a clock tower the British set on the rampart in 1883, and the ramparts can be walked with the sea below.

Highlights

• The star fort - a small six-pointed work across the river, built from 1763 to 1765.
• The main ramparts - the Dutch wall across the promontory neck, walkable.
• The Dutch church - the eighteenth-century church inside the fort.
• The clock tower - the 1883 tower on the remaining rampart.

When to go

November to April is the season on this coast. Mornings are coolest for walking the ramparts. The southwest monsoon brings rough sea against the walls.

Before you go

The main fort is a lived-in quarter rather than a preserved monument and parts are run down. The star fort is small and takes twenty minutes. There is little interpretation.

Nearby

Dondra Head is southeast, and Galle is west.

Key facts