You’re asking the right question. How can the entirety of the south coast of Sri Lanka be encapsulated within a single blog post? Yep. I get it. It definitely can’t. However, allow me to elucidate you - the simple pleasures of the south coast of Sri Lanka just may be as simply put as what follows.

sri lankan South coast

**WHERE**: South coast of Sri Lanka
**WHY**: Amazing beaches, very tasty food, gorgeous natural surrounds
**TIME**: 1 week

understand

Southern Sri Lanka starts from about Unawatuna in the southeast to Tangalle/Hambantota in the southwest. From Colombo, the drive will take anywhere between 2-4 hours, however, when I took the bus in 2017, it took closer to 5 hours. From Colombo, you can take an express highway bus to Matara or you can take a coastal train that stops in Galle and Matara. The main tourist drag of southern Sri Lanka takes you through the towns of Weligama, Mirissa, Galle, Unawatuna and Tangalle. However, the distances between towns down here in the south is usually pretty small, so you can easily get between towns via bus like Mirissa and Tangalle in less than an hour.

what to do

Avoid the tried and tested tropes of ‘trying out Yoga,’ or ‘photographing stilt fisherman.’ While both may seem like valid options, I’d strongly encourage you to spend your time on the south cost of Sri Lanka engaged in four main activities; surfing, exploring Galle Fort, eating, and exploring the wildlife parks to the south east.

SURF

The south coast of Sri Lanka is home to some truly legendary surf breaks, and many are suitable for beginners (with much chagrin, I admit that I’m a beginner). The best surfing in the area seems to be around Unawatuna Bay, and the following are some excellent breaks in the area.

Unawatuna Beach Break – Unawatuna has great beginner waves right on the beach.

Dalawella Reef – About 120 meters from the main beach, Dalawella is a left breaker over a reef with coral, rocks and urchins. I got horrifically sunburnt here, but don’t let that stop you.

Bonavista Bay – A good learner’s wave between 3 ft and 5 ft with the right swell. On the north part of the temple peninsula.

Kabalana Beach Break – Kabalana is great for beginners right at the shore with frothy small waves but the main point has a rip current and there are no lifeguards.

South Beach – Just a bit north of Kabalana is South Beach with a good longboard wave. Tends to get blown out in the afternoons though.

Galle

Sometimes, a bit of history and culture can go a long way, and a day trip to the old Colonial Era fort at Galle will serve you well in this regard. While the town of Galle itself may be less than inspiring, the actual fort itself is worth of your attention - I spent an entire afternoon here, wandering the colossal sandstone walls and exploring passageways and porticoes in the fort itself. The complex is massive – skip right past the touts and tourist traps at the main entrance (in particular the snake charmers), and take a self guided wander through the fort. For those of you with inclinations towards instagram, the fort provides some excellent views of the sharp cliffs and distant harbor below. For those who wither at the thought of posing for a photograph, the actual fort itself provides hours of entertainment, and is steeped in local history. There are also a collective of ‘cliff-divers’ whom work out of one of the bastions of the fort, and will take a perilous jump into the waters below for a fee. I didn’t personally pay for this, but who knows, you might be the shaudenfreude type.

MIRISSA

Mirissa is popular with tourists for a reason: the place is stunning. Even to my jaded and cynical eyes, I was blown away by the beachfront here. After looking past several large Russian men sunbathing in outfits that provided nothing for the imagination to work with, I was able to spend a glorious afternoon swimming, looking for sea turtles, and having beers at the beachside cafes and bars. Mirissa is a special, special place, and, if you are lucky enough to spend some time here, ensure you check out the sunset from Parrot Rock - very instagram friendly, but beautiful in an extremely sublime way.

Wildlife safari

Sri Lanka is teeming with wildlife, and surprisingly enough, much of it seems to have been preserved amidst the past 100 years of modernisation. If you have a spare day or two whilst on the south coast, I’d recommend visiting to Udawalawe National Park or Yala National Park. Udawalawe National Park is home to hundreds of wild Asian elephants, and Yala National Park has one of the highest densities of leopards in the world. I was lucky enough to spy out a leopard whilst I was there – who knows, give it a go and you might be too.

WHERE TO EAT

Salt House: Dickwella

Salt House is a great place to go for lunch or a casual dinner. The coffee is strong, and the fish burger is delicious. I believe that i ate my birthday dinner here, way back in 2017 - precious memories.

Sugar: Galle Fort

Exploring the fort is hungry work, especially with a hangover and under the burning sun. Sugar at Galle served me very well on a hot Saturday afternoon - they serve up both Western and Sri Lankan cuisine. the hoppers here were pretty bloody excellent.

WHERE TO STAY

The Doctors house: Polhena

The Doctor’s House was a glorious experience for me. It is filled with backpackers, serves up excellent pizza, and has the coldest beer you’ll find on the South Coast. Good lord, I had fun here - please stay.

Anantara Peace Haven: Tangalle

A 5-star property offering beautiful rooms, beach access, incredible dining facilities and wonderful hospitality. Located at Tangalle, Peace Haven is on the eastern end of the south coast so it will take at least 2 hours to travel to Galle or Unawatuna. However, if you’re keen to splash out, you’d do far worse than here.

Talalla Beach Retreat: Talalla

Located near the southernmost point of Sri Lanka provide basic rooms for seriously reasonable rates are reasonable given it offers a pool as well as easy beach access. The hotel also provide daily surf lessons for anyone hoping to try their hand at catching a wave.

How did you spend your time on the South Coast of Sri Lanka? Let us know in the comments below!