Old Galle Buck Lighthouse

Standing tall on an elevated base on Chaithya Road, the Galle Buck Lighthouse offers panoramic views of the beautiful Indian Ocean and is a distinctive city landmark that is seriously underrated. If you’re viewing it from the road, the lighthouse is a faded orange but from the seaside, the lighthouse is painted like a chess board in alternating black and white squares – it’s actually pretty funky! The entrance has two sets of steps that will take you up to a base that has four lion statues guarding it. The lighthouse is 29 metres high and its light is said to flash thrice every 10 seconds.

From the lighthouse you get stunning panoramic views. It’s possible to see the port on the far right and parts of Galle Road on the left. There’s a really nice sea breeze here as well and it’s a pretty awesome spot to chill out and get some fresh air. You can pop into the ‘Lighthouse Gallery’ located opposite the lighthouse for a light snack or a drink once you’re done. The Buddha Jayanthi Chaithya (a stupa built high up on a platform supported by two interlocking archers) can be seen from the lighthouse as well. It’s just down the road, so it’s worth checking out if you are in the area.

There is a naval gun battery located at the base of the lighthouse that is used for traditional gun salutes. Each year, on Independence Day, the Navy fires a ceremonial 25 gun salute to the nation from the lighthouse.

Evenings or early morning would be the best times to visit the lighthouse since there isn’t really much shade from the scorching sun.

Typical Travelers Blog
One of Colombo’s free-est and most beautiful spots still remains largely unknown to several of our city dwellers. While wave upon wave of families wash up on the lawns of the Galle Face Green to fly kites and watch the sun sink down behind the Indian ocean, few venture further along the strip to enter navy territory. Adjacent to the port and within the purlieus of the Sri Lanka Navy lies the Galle Buck Lighthouse, one of the city’s best places to watch a sunset.

Winding your way through the knots of navy personel that line the Chaithya Road, you can enter this formerly high high security zone during most hours of the day. While the area used to be virtually cut off during the war, you can now drive in and walk up to the lighthouse, or head a few metres down the road to climb the Sambuddha Jayanthi Chaithya – an elevated Chaithya with an observation deck (it’s not always possible to go up here, but mornings should be fine).

The lighthouse provides stunning views of the Indian Ocean. From its raised base you can see all the way down the Galle Face Green up to the Galle Face Hotel and right across to the very tip of the horizon. Just look at the pictures. Constructed in the 50’s, this isn’t one of our older pieces of architecture, but the views it offers around 5 or 6 PM are rather breathtaking

This is a lovely place to take your thoughts – or a partner you’re trying to impress. Rarely crowded or noisy, an afternoon spilling over to evening spent here can be quite tranquil – you can perch by the feet of the lighthouse with a book, or just listen to your iPod while watching the hues of the sun bleed into the sky before disappearing beneath the skyline. And across the other side of the road is a restaurant, if you’re hungry. Service at The Lighthouse Galley can be a bit elusive, but if you manage to track down a waiter and menu you can find yourself a cool beverage and some bites. This is one of Colombo’s most beautiful and untouristy spots, and afternoon or evening spent here is quite lovely.

More Information About Galle Buck Lighthouse and Ceremonial Gun Platform

The walls of the Colombo fort that faced the coast were pulled down in 1870. The British ruled the waves and there was no longer any perceived military threat.
Modern Victorian warship cannons would soon demolish any stone built walls so they were really redundant. They were considered a hindrance to development. The whole emphasis was on trade
When the old Colombo lighthouse became not fit for purpose due to its beam being obscured by new building development a new light house was built on Galboka Point opposite the Sri Lankan Naval Headquarters on the Chaithya Road in Colombo Fort.
It was opened by the first prime minister of the newly independent country of Sri Lanka in 1952. The Architect designed the lighthouse to stand on a 12 meter high concrete base which has four lion statues at its base. It soon became distinctive a city landmark. The seaward side of the light house tower is painted in a black and white chequered pattern. The light house is 29 meters high. Its light flashes three times every ten seconds.
The Colombo Fort Galle Buck (rocky bay) Lighthouse has a ceremonial role to play in modern Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Navy has positioned a Naval gun battery at the base of the light house. It is here that gun salutes are fired. One independence day a 25 gun salute is fired. That is on 4th February each year. There is a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean from the gun platform.
Opposite the Galle Buck Lighthouse on the other side of the Chaithya Road is delightful little restaurant. Ideal for having a spot of lunch. It is often frequented by members of the Sri Lankan Navy. In fact the staff told us that it started out as a Naval catering unit. There are lots of seats outside under the shady colonnade or large parasol.
Order a Sri Lankan Lion beer as you look over the menu. If you are adventurous tell the staff that that you are interested in tasting real Sri Lankan food and what would they suggest. We did this and had a very memorable meal. True Sri Lankan food differs from Indian food. They use a lot more fruit, European cool climate vegetables from the central Sri Lankan highlands that arrive every morning at 5am and most importantly coconut.