Beaches in Galle

The best known beach on this coast and about six kilometres southeast of Galle Fort, a fifteen minute tuk-tuk ride. It is a shallow, sheltered bay behind a reef, which is why it is the one recommended for swimming rather than surfing, and why it fills up. The strip behind it is dense with guesthouses, restaurants and dive shops. Erosion has narrowed the sand in places over the years, so it is smaller than older photographs suggest.

The oldest developed resort beach on the west coast, and the first thing to say is that it is not in Galle district: Bentota is in Kalutara, about 55 km north of Galle and closer to Colombo. It sits on a spit between the sea and the Bentota river, which is what makes it work, because the river side runs boat trips into the mangroves while the sea side has the resorts and the water sports.

A quiet stretch just north of Hikkaduwa, about 25 km from Galle, and one of the few beaches on this coast with almost nothing built on it. There is reef close inshore, so snorkelling is possible at slack water, and a shipwreck lies offshore that dive operators in Hikkaduwa run trips to. There are no facilities to speak of, which is the trade-off. The currents here are stronger than at Unawatuna, so take local advice before swimming.

A small cove on the far side of Rumassala hill from Unawatuna, reached either by a walk over the headland past the Japanese Peace Pagoda or by tuk-tuk to the top and a short path down. It is sheltered, shallow and good for snorkelling, and it is the quietest beach within easy reach of Galle. It has become much better known in the last few years, so go early if you want it empty. Bring water: there is little on site.

A crescent bay about 45 km southeast of Galle, in Matara district rather than Galle, and the base for whale watching in Sri Lanka. Boats run from the harbour between roughly November and April looking for blue whales and sperm whales, and the season is the reason most people come. The beach itself has a small headland, Parrot Rock, that you can climb at low tide. It is busier than it was and the sand is narrow at high water.

About 20 km north of Galle and the surf capital of the southwest, with a reef break that suits improvers and a long beach break for beginners. The coral sanctuary just offshore is the other half of it, reachable by glass-bottomed boat, though the reef has been badly damaged by bleaching and by boat traffic and is not what it was. The main road runs right behind the beach here, which is the drawback: it is noisy.

The southern continuation of Hikkaduwa beach and the better half of it for swimming, since it is wider, has fewer rocks and sits slightly away from the main road. Most of Hikkaduwa's guesthouses and beachfront restaurants are actually along this stretch. Sea turtles come in to feed close to shore and are often visible from the sand, which is real and not a paid attraction. Do not touch or ride them.

A narrow sheltered beach about eight kilometres from Galle, between Unawatuna and Mihiripenna, protected by a reef that makes it one of the calmest places to swim on the coast. It is best known for the rope swing on a palm leaning over the water, which is on private hotel land and is usually charged for. Turtles feed in the shallows here. The beach is thin at high tide, so it works better in the morning.

Immediately south of Dalawella and about ten kilometres from Galle, and the quietest of the four beaches in the Unawatuna cluster. A reef runs offshore, so the water inside it is calm and shallow enough for children, and there is decent snorkelling at the reef edge. A handful of small hotels back it and there is not much else. If Unawatuna feels too busy, this is the same coast twenty minutes further on.

On the northern edge of Galle district, about 40 km from Galle and much closer to Bentota, and the emptiest wide-sand beach on this list. It is a resort beach in the literal sense: a handful of large hotels and very little else, no strip and no nightlife. The surf is heavier than at Unawatuna and there is no reef, so swimming depends on the day. It suits people who want the beach and nothing around it.

Also outside Galle district, in Kalutara just south of Bentota and about 50 km north of Galle, despite how it is usually listed. It is a long, straight, largely undeveloped beach with a heavy shore break, so it is better for walking than swimming. A turtle hatchery operates nearby and releases hatchlings in the evening. It is the beach to choose if you want the west coast without the resort density of Bentota.