palmıana
DE
A couple relaxing under a leaning coconut palm on a white beach
Under a coconut palm on the beach (illustrative)

Asia · Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka south coast

Surf towns under coconut palms, tea in the hills and a train that runs along the sea.

Save to your sun list

The south coast of Sri Lanka runs from the Dutch fort of Galle to the wild bays past Tangalle, with a road and a railway squeezed between palms and sea. Each bay has a name and a character: Unawatuna for swimming, Weligama for learning to surf, Mirissa for whales, Hiriketiya for the crowd that stayed. It is cheap, green and full of the smell of spice and rain, and the hill country of tea and trains is a day away.

The palm: Coconut palm

The south coast is one long coconut grove, and the country counts its palms in the millions: coconut is a national industry, king coconut is the orange roadside drink, and the toddy tappers who walk rope bridges between the crowns are still working the groves near Galle.

When to go

°Crainsea January: 30°C by day, 7 rainy days, sea 28°C30°February: 30°C by day, 6 rainy days, sea 28°C30°March: 31°C by day, 9 rainy days, sea 29°C31°April: 31°C by day, 13 rainy days, sea 29°C31°May: 30°C by day, 17 rainy days, sea 29°C30°June: 29°C by day, 16 rainy days, sea 28°C29°July: 29°C by day, 12 rainy days, sea 27°C29°August: 29°C by day, 11 rainy days, sea 27°C29°September: 29°C by day, 15 rainy days, sea 27°C29°October: 29°C by day, 18 rainy days, sea 28°C29°November: 29°C by day, 17 rainy days, sea 28°C29°December: 29°C by day, 11 rainy days, sea 28°C29°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Typical daytime highs, rainy days per month (one drop is about four days) and sea temperature. Green bars are comfortable months, amber bars are hot or wet or cool, and the darker bars mark the best time to go.

Sights

Galle Fort

Dutch ramparts, a lighthouse, cafés in colonial villas and a cricket ground under the walls.

Coastal train from Colombo

Two hours along the sea to Galle, doors open, palms flashing past.

Yala National Park

Leopards, elephants and buffalo in scrub by the sea, three hours east.

Ella and the hill country

Tea estates, the Nine Arches bridge and cool nights, five hours inland.

Beaches

  • Hiriketiya

    A horseshoe bay with a gentle wave, cafés under the palms and a laid-back crowd.

  • Unawatuna

    The calm, sheltered bay near Galle where families swim.

  • Tangalle bays

    Long, empty beaches east of the town, with turtles nesting at Rekawa.

Events

  • Apr

    Sinhala and Tamil New Year

    Mid April, when the country stops for games, sweets and family visits.

  • May

    Vesak

    Lanterns and free food stalls for the Buddha’s birthday on the May full moon.

  • Aug

    Kandy Esala Perahera

    Ten nights of drummers, dancers and elephants in Kandy in July and August.

For remote workers

Internet4/5

A comfortable month: about €1,100

Weligama, Ahangama and Hiriketiya have turned into a surf-and-laptop coast with coworkings, cafés with real coffee and villas by the month. Data is cheap and fast; power cuts are rarer than they were. Visas run on an online authorisation, and long-stay options for remote workers keep being discussed, so check before you plan a season.

Compare as a base

For families

Calm water3/5
Shade4/5
Medical care3/5

Surf beaches have currents; Unawatuna, Hiriketiya and the bays around Tangalle are the calm ones. Children love the turtle hatcheries, the whale-watching boats from Mirissa and the elephants at Udawalawe, two hours inland. Private hospitals in Galle and Colombo are reliable.

Rank for your family

Three things to know

  1. Fly to Colombo and take the expressway south; Galle is under two hours.
  2. The south and west coast season is December to March; the east coast at Arugam Bay takes over from May to September.
  3. Eat rice and curry at lunch from a local place, and hoppers for breakfast with a fried egg in the middle.

Stories from here