Mount Lavinia

Mount Lavinia and its next door neighbour Dehiwala can be found on the southern coast line out of Colombo.

Being a trendy area by the beach, it tends to attract the affluent youth interested in healthy lifestyles during the day and parties at weekends. You can see joggers in the early morning as they do their exercises before setting off to work in downtown Colombo city. 

Mount Lavinia, the largest suburb of Colombo has a population of 210,000. Also Sri Lanka’s National Zoological Gardens is based here.

The name “Lavinia” is said to come from the lover of Sir Thomas Maitland called “Lovina”. Sir Thomas was the Governor of Ceylon from 1805 to 1811. As it was not deemed fit for a man in his position to be seen with a dancing girl. So the love affair had to be secret.

A statue of Lovina can be found at the entrance of the Mount Lavinia Hotel in remembrance of her.

Because of the close proximity to Colombo, the area attracts local tourists as well as tourists from abroad. The beach, the sun and casual lifestyle are the main attractions.