An early rampart walk from the Old Gate to the lighthouse, the Dutch Reformed Church and the Maritime Museum, then sunset on Triton Bastion.
Day 2
Bawa & beaches
Coffee at Jetwing Lighthouse, an afternoon on Unawatuna or Jungle Beach and dinner back in the Fort.
Day 3
Whales
An early whale-watching boat from Mirissa harbour, a long lunch and a slow afternoon on Mirissa beach.
Day 4
Bentota & Lunuganga
Bawa’s garden estate on a guided tour, lunch by the lake and Brief Garden on the way back.
Day 5+
Go deeper
Handunugoda tea estate and Koggala, a safari at Udawalawe, or a rainforest walk in Sinharaja.
Honest thought: distances look short but coast-road traffic is slow. Use the Southern Expressway for longer trips, plan one outing per day and keep the hottest hours for a long lunch or a swim.