Founded in the 16th century, this town was overtaken by Portuguese seamen washed ashore by a storm. It was called Point de Galle, when the Dutch took over in 1640 with the Dutch East India Company. The British arrived in the 18th century and took over the fortified city that the Dutch had built. The coral sanctuary found along the coast of Hikkaduwa is a large shallow body of water enclosed by a reef, decorated with layers of multi coloured corals, and is home to countless numbers of vibrantly coloured fish.