Weligama is the best beach in Sri Lanka to come and learn surfing but also to relax, it is a beautiful place with a traditional flavour and many other interesting attractions around.

Surfers from all over the world use to come to this magnificent island to ride the powerful waves of the Indian Ocean.

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Beaches like Arugam Bay, Nilaveli beach and many others from the south coast are very well known among tourists from everywhere.

Swaying palm trees, sandy beaches and calm waters from the east coast are suitable for couples or for those looking to relax and bathe in the sea as the area is still under a massive process of development.

The eastern part of the island was left a little behind as the Civil War and the 2004 tsunami destroyed a large part of the eastern side.

But the great news is that many beautiful hotels appeared here in the last couple of years and the area is extremely beautiful and untamed.

General information

Right near this Sri Lanka best beach is a beautiful fishermen village located in the southern part of the island with many tasty restaurants offering one of the freshest seafood in the world.

The name of the town in local language means “Sandy Village” and comes from the 2 kilometres beach located in the area.

Weligama is not just a great spot to learn to ride your first wave on one of the many Sri Lanka beaches for surf, but it is also a beautiful town full of life with many coconut and rubber plantations around.

The great news about this popular beach is that it is not very popular among tourists and is one of the last places from the island where you can spot locals fishing as their ancestors did.

They perched on their vertical poles with a bamboo stick in their hand and waited for the fishes to come.

The nearby island, Taprobane offers incredible views and it is widely believed that this was the place where french Count de Mauny was exiled.

On the island, there is a beautiful villa with 5 suites and an infinity swimming pool which is believed to be built by Count de Mauny.

Interesting facts about Weligama, the best beach in Sri Lanka

• Weligama is the birthplace of one of the most important Buddhist priests: Sri Sumangala Thero.
• Kushta Raja Gala is one of the most important monuments from the area and it is believed to belong to Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara ( a person who is bound to be a Buddha in the future)
• The island of Taprobane belongs today to an Australian businessman named Geoffrey Dobbs
• The 2004 earthquake and the following tsunami caused massive destructions in the area with more than 740 deaths

How to get to Weligama, Sri Lanka best beach

You have the following modes to get to Weligama from Colombo:

• By road
• By bus
• By train
• By air

Getting to Weligama by road

You can get a taxi or rent a car as getting to this piece of heaven by road is the easiest and less time-consuming option you have.

All you have to do is to follow the Southern Expressway (E01) and in about 2 and a half hours you get to your destination.

Stay safe while you travel

Getting to Weligama by bus

All you have to do is to go to Colombo Bastian Mawatha bus terminal from Colombo and take the bus that leaves to Matara.

The good news is that there are many buses travelling on this route, but the bad news is that you’ll need more than 5 hours to get to your destination.

Once you get to Matara bus station we advise you to take a taxi or a tuk-tuk if you don’t have large luggage and get directly to Weligama, the best beach in Sri Lanka.

The taxi ride lasts for about 20 minutes while the tuk-tuk journey lasts for long as the speed of the vehicle is lower.

Getting to Weligama by train

Getting to Weligama from Colombo by train is the most inexpensive way of travelling around and the journey lasts for only 2 hours.

The train leaves from Colombo train station and makes only 7 stops at major towns like Ambalangoda, Hikkaduwa and Galle.

Getting to Weligama by plane

Definitely, this is the most expensive but also the fastest way to reach Weligama, Sri Lanka best beach.

There are daily flights from Colombo to Koggala, the nearest domestic airport from the area, Koggala Water Aerodrome.

How’s the weather in Weligama

Like most of the towns and villages located on the southern part of the island, the weather in Weligama is perfect for swimming and surfing.

The average temperatures are between 25 to 31 degrees Celsius during all year round with small fluctuations.

The dry season lasts from December to March, the period of the year when the place is more crowded than usual.

Things to do in Weligama

Besides offering the best beach in Sri Lanka for surfing, Weligama is also famous for its wide range of attractions located in the nearby area.

Here is a list of the most important ones:

1. Diving and snorkelling in the bay of Weligama

The shadow reefs and rock formations hide a large variety of marine species and fish.

The best locations for diving from the area are Bridge Rock, Heinrich Patch and Yala Rock.

2. Visit Kushta Raja Gala

Kushta Raja Gala is a famous statue about which locals don’t know for sure what it represents.

Some of them think it represents the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, a thing confirmed even by experts.

But there are others saying it represents a foreign king who had once suffered from a skin disease.

3. Explore the Dutch Star fort

The Dutch Star fort is located in the city of Matara, a few kilometres away from Weligama, Sri Lanka best beach.

The fort was built around 1763 A.D. by the dutch army which took control of the area.

By 1796, the fort was conquered by the British army and many years later, in 1980 the Star Fort was declared an Archeological Reserve.

4. Midigama Beach

Midigama beach also listed as the best beach in Sri Lanka perfect for surfing and with breathtaking scenery, hidden between coconut trees and turquoise waters

5. Snake farm

This snake farm located 12 kilometres north of Mirissa, home to many venomous and non-venomous snakes.

6. Stilt fishermen

This is one of the very few places from the island where you can see fishermen fishing using their ancestors’ methods.

They are perched on the vertical sticks with a bamboo stick in their hand waiting for the fish to come.

They fish like this mostly for touristy purpose, as most of them gain their daily life fishing from fishing boats.

7. Dondra Lighthouse

Dondra Lighthouse is located on the southernmost point from the island in Dondra head or Devinuwara.

It is the tallest lighthouse from the island and one of the tallest from South East Asia with 49 metres height, 7 floors and 196 steps.

8. Turtle watching on Rekawa beach

Rekawa is one of the very few and beautiful beaches from the island where you can observe wild turtles coming to lay their eggs in the golden sand.

From the total number of 7 marine turtles in the world, 5 of them come to lay eggs in Sri Lanka: Loggerhead, Green Turtle, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill and Leatherback.

9. Whale watching and dolphin watching

Mirissa is one of the best places to observe marine wildlife so book a boat trip in the Indian Ocean to see these magnificent creatures.

Whales and dolphins used to gather here to breed in this warm waters between November to April when the ocean is calmer.

Accommodation

Weligama Bay Marriott Resort Spa is definitely the best choice from the area, a wonderful boutique hotel offering delicious food and great customer care.

Located right near the beach, the hotel has 3 outdoor swimming pools and a premier spa.

All the rooms and suites come with ocean views, large terraces and luxurious amenities.

The resort has its own entertaining program for kids and is a great place for you and your family when you visit Sri Lanka.

Conclusion

Weligama is Sri Lanka best beach for beginner surfers from all over the world to learn how to catch the perfect wave.

But as you could read in this article, Weligama is more than that as there are plenty of other interesting activities to do while in the area.

You can also rent a car and book a safari in one of the many national parks that Sri Lanka has.

It is definitely one of the most beautiful areas from the island, the perfect destination for your next holiday!