Galle Face Green

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The Galle Face Green is a historic promenade, which stretches for half kilometer along the coast in the heart of financial and business district of Colombo, the largest city in Sri Lanka. It was initailly laid out in 1859 by the British Governor of Ceylon Sir Henry Ward and was used for horse racing.

The Galle Face Green, which is a 13 acre ribbon strip of land between Galle Road and Indian Ocean, is now the largest open space in Colombo. It is a popular destination for children, vendors, teenagers, lovers, merrymakers and all those who want to indulge in their favorite pastimes next to the sea under the open sky. On Saturday and Sunday evenings it is packed with food vendors doing brisk business with hordes of picnickers. It is bordered at one end by the Ceylon Intercontinental Hotel and at the other by the quaint Galle Face Hotel, one of Sri Lanka's oldest and most popular hotels, with a variety of old world charm including old furniture, hand carved doors, balconies and high ceilings.

The Galle Face Green is administered and maintained by the Urban Development Authority of Sri Lanka (UDA).