Parks and the outdoors in Colombo

8 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Colombo.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

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Colombo Zoological Gardens
Dehiwala Zoological Garden
Colombo's zoo has a wide variety of animals, birds, and reptiles from all over the world. See lion show, every day 4-4:15PM; elephant show, every day 4:30-4:55PM.
Daily 8:30AM-4PMFor overseas visitors: adult Rs 2000, child Rs 1000, video cameras Rs 500. Other fees: elephant ride, adult Rs 200, child Rs 100; pony ride for children under 12 Rs 25
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Gangaramaya Temple
One of the most important temples in Colombo. The temple's architecture is an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese styles. And adjoining it just to the west is the Seema Malaka, another Buddhist temple complex that sits upon Beira Lake, along with Gangamaraya Park. Some urban and eccentric views of the surrounding skyline can be had from here, including looking back on the Altair Sri Lanka apartment tower that looks like one building falling on another.
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Gordon Gardens
About 16,000 m². The gardens have an amazing variety of trees.
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India House
The official residence in Colombo for the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka. Built in 1926-27 for the Imperial Bank of India and taken over by the Government of India in 1956. It is a colonial style villa/bungalow, with large gardens along Thurstan Road. It is guarded by personnel from the Border Security Force.
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The Lighthouse.
A large bungalow. Owned by the Sri Lankan Government and houses the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies. It is in the Cinnamon Gardens a suburb of Colombo, it was built by D. Peiris.
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Viharamahadevi Park
formerly Victoria Park
It is the largest, oldest and most colourful park situated in the heart of Colombo, just opposite the colonial style Town Hall building.
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Whist Bungalow
Pradeepa Hall
A 19th-century large stately bungalow in Neoclassical style. It is in Mutwal north of Colombo on the coast where the mouth of the Kelani River used to be. It is now used as a reception hall for weddings.
See Not mapped
Jefferson House
The ambassadorial residence in Colombo for the Ambassador of the United States in Sri Lanka. It was built in 1914 in the Cinnamon Gardens a suburb of Colombo.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Colombo (CC BY-SA 4.0).