7am Jumpstart
If the sunrise call to prayer from the Muslim quarter doesn’t wake you, jolt the senses with a Sri Lankan breakfast. Egg hoppers – wok-shaped rice-flour pancakes with a fried egg – with spicy sambal are a favourite. Pedlar’s Inn (92 Pedlar St) does them well.

8am Bird’s-eye view
The old town is a beguiling mix of Baroque, British, Dutch and Islamic architecture, and you can take this all in from the 400-year-old fort that lords above. Start at the lighthouse and follow the 3km wall that’s flanked by 14 bastions.

9am Fill your basket
Watch your toes as tuk-tuks overflowing with jackfruit, okra and tamarind whiz past, then stop and sample fresh buffalo curd, woodapple fruit and fragrant spices at the city’s Green Market. Galle was an important stop along the spice route during the 16th Century and Sri Lanka still boasts some of the world’s best cinnamon. Try the offering at Spice Shack, then head to Dairy King (69A Church St) for cinnamon ice cream.

10.30am Shop till you drop
Beaded shawls and kaftans from MiniMango (40 Leyn Baan St), ornate cotton-lace bedding from Shoba Display Gallery (67A Pedler St) and modern homewares from Souk 58 (58 Church St), are among the shopping possibilities.

11.30am Cool off
Head to Lighthouse Beach for a dip in the clear blue water teeming with tropical fish and coral, then buy a sweet king coconut for about 50c to quench your thirst.

1pm Lunch club
Hidden within a colonial relic is the Young Men’s Buddhist Association (Lighthouse St Fort), a social club and cafe that serves up excellent curries and conversation at communal tables.

3.30pm Water therapy
Unwind in Aman Resorts’ luxe colonial-era Amangalla (10 Church St). If you’re just popping in for the day there are hydrotherapy rooms and an in-house Barber Shop for an old-fashioned shave, otherwise the guest rooms offer sweeping views over the red-roofed city to the sea.

5pm Street show
‘Hot hot roti’ promises a cart on Rampart Street. And, at $1 each, the crisp flatbreads filled with spiced potato and onion deliver. Eat and watch in wonder as local boys deftly dive into the sea from the fort walls.

6pm Rooftop aperitif
Book in for a sunset session at Mama’s Galle Fort Roof Café (76 Leyn Baan St). The quaint, breezy bar offers cold local Lion beer, small plates of deep-fried whitebait and memorable views.

8pm Curry craving
Mama’s does an excellent curry and rice, or head to The Fort Printers (39 Pedlar St), a boutique hotel that turns out elegant fare, including seared tuna with eggplant sambal and lobster curry, in a pretty courtyard.