Rekawa Beach, Tangalle Overview

Rekawa beach is located in Rakawa town, near Tangalle in Hambantota district, in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. The beach is an incredibly scenic one, with a vast expanse of white sand, merging with the serene turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. The beach has palm trees flanking its coast, which gently dance to the rhythm of the cool breeze. The beach is known to have an enterprising range of marine animals.

The main feature of this beach is that it is a site for egg hatching of turtles. Interestingly, five out of seven of the world's sea turtle breeds are found here. These include green, loggerhead, hawksbill, olive ridley and leatherback. The leatherback turtles are the rarest species of marine turtles in the world. Tourists are generally delighted and cheerful, seeing the process of eggs hatching by the turtles.

Apart from turtle egg hatching, Rekawa is an ideal spot for chilling and observing nature's magic. The beach has a few good food and alcohol outlets, and all types of accommodation options, from beach huts to boutique hotels. It is, therefore, a complete package, worth an experience.

Tickets for Rekawa Beach

The ticket to enter the turtle zone is LKR 1000 on an average; however, this varies from season to season. Also, watching the turtle laying eggs is dependent on luck. Sometimes, as good as 5-15 turtles show up, and sometimes just one.

Ideal Time in the Day to Visit Rekawa Beach

Most turtles come out of the sea at midnight and carry out their process till 1:00 PM. However, the guides recommend tourists to be available at the beach at 8:30 PM onwards. Some turtles are seen as soon as the sun sets.

Turtle Breeding in Rekawa Beach

Five out of seven of the world's marine turtle species are found here. These include green, loggerhead, hawksbill, olive ridley and leatherback. Leatherback turtles are the rarest species in the world. The turtles emerge out of the water to lay their eggs on the sand at midnight. They crawl to a safe end of the beach and leave behind a trail which looks like a one-wheeler vehicle. Once they find a comfortable spot, they start digging in the sand and create a hole for their eggs. Next, they begin laying eggs in twos and threes. Then they cover their hole with sand and return to the water. Sometimes, the government bodies take away the eggs to manufacture products from it. Some lucky turtles find their eggs safe.

Swimming in Rekawa Beach

Swimming is allowed around the Rekawa beach. The waves tend to get rough, and some of the marine creatures might be dangerous. However, there are a few swimming spots at the other end of the town, where tourists can satiate their craving for a swim.

Best Time of the Year to Visit Rekawa Beach

The primary season to watch the turtles laying eggs at Rekawa is from April to July, mostly during full moon nights. At this time, the turtles are in a trance-like zone and do not shy away from humans. They are engrossed in laying eggs and keeping them safe.