Matara is the largest town on Sri Lanka's popular south coast,
hosting the terminus of the railway line from Colombo. Today it is
a quiet town, but in past centuries was a thriving port central to
the spice and gem trade with the East and Holland. The original
town was established on a narrow peninsula in the estuary of the
Nilwala River, which was fortified by the Dutch. The original walls
still stand, containing some rather dilapidated old buildings
dating from the Dutch colonial era. Matara is scenically
attractive, surrounded by paddy fields and tea estates on the
fertile river floodplain. The area also boasts some sandy, safe
beaches. These assets have ensured that the town is a popular
tourist destination removed from the trouble spots in the north of
the island, where civil unrest remains a threat.
