Neighborhoods in Colombo

Colombo Fort (Colombo 1) is the historic commercial center of the city, named after the Portuguese fortress that once occupied the promontory. Today it is a dense district of colonial-era government buildings, banks, luxury hotels, and the main railway terminus.

Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7) is Colombo's most elegant residential district, named for the cinnamon plantations that once covered the area during the Dutch colonial period. Today it is a leafy suburb of tree-lined avenues, embassies, museums, and colonial villas.

Slave Island (officially Kompannavidiya, Colombo 2) is a dense, diverse inner-city neighborhood surrounded by Beira Lake. Its jarring name reflects a dark colonial history, while today its streets pulse with a multicultural mix of temples, mosques, churches, and street markets.