Southern Coast Destination Guide
The Southern Coast of Sri Lanka offers a number of interesting and colourful cities. Even those heading south to visit the beaches will likely pass through one or more of the major cities and towns at some stage, and many have enough sites and attractions to make staying a couple days worthwhile.
The cities of the Southern Coast offer interesting colonial architecture, a number of temples and good dining and accommodation options.
This page will let you know all the interesting things to see & do that travellers should know, including details about the largest and most interesting cities and towns in the region. If you want to book a tour or activity while youre here, you can do this on our Southern Coast Tours page. To get more useful background facts on Sri Lanka, go to our Sri Lanka Country Guide.
Things to See & Do on the Southern Coast
Galle
Unawatuna
Unawatuna, located just 6 kilometres from the centre of Galle, is popular among tourists for its splendid beaches, and excellent snorkelling. It is also a favoured breeding ground for turtles. Unlike some of the other beach resorts further to the north, Unawatuna is still a relaxing, quiet place of tropical splendour. It offers a varied range of accommodation options, either scattered around the village or close to the beach. There are also a number a beachside restaurants and bars.
Ambalangoda
Matara
Beaches
Negombo
Negombo offers some of the best beaches in the region, with long, sandy, clean stretches of beach. Whilst some people have discovered the beauty of them, they are generally not too crowded. The hotels maintain some of the stretches of the beach, whereas other areas find fishermen busy with their equipment. A number of watersports, such as diving and wind surfing, are also available here, with various hotels and private businesses renting out the necessary equipment.
Unawatuna
Unawatuna also offers a beautiful beach, which is located about 6 kilometres southeast of the city centre. Unawatuna is a great location for swimming and snorkelling. There are a wide range of accommodation options located a few minutes drive from the beach, as well as numerous beach side restaurants and bars. Other stunning and less touristy beaches can be found along the coast, between the cities of Galle and Matara.
Temples
Thalwatta Totagamuwa Temple
Located off the Thalwatta junction on Galle road, the Thalwatta Totagamuwa Temple is the oldest temple in the area, and also has the most patrons. The four pillars, inscripted with various names, are believed to date from around the 9th century AD. Several kings have also been patrons of the temple, and it has played an important part in Sinhalese literature. The two image houses in the temple both have inner and outer chambers.
Negrodharma Temple
Negrodharma Temple, in Wellaboda has a fascinating temple library, which is renowned for its collection of ancient manuscripts, covering a wide range of subjects. The image house features a number of paintings that are though to be over 200 years old.
Dikkawella Wevurukannala Temple
Dikkawella Wevurukannala Temple, located around 20 kilometres east of Matara, features a huge clock that was built by a juvenile offender spending time in detention. Although built in 1927, the clock is still in working order.
Kelaniya Temple
Kelaniya Temple is an ancient Buddhist temple located about 20 kilometres south of the town. It is believed to have been visited by Buddha, and every January there is a religious cultural pageant held at the temple. The impressive wall paintings from the mid 1900s are one of the main attractions of this temple.
Forts
Galle Fort
Although originally built by the Portuguese, the Dutch, who captured the coastal region of Sri Lanka from the Portuguese, made substantial improvements over the fort's defence system. It was later captured by the British, however they did not make any significant alterations, and henceforth the fort and its surrounding buildings still retain much of their Dutch atmosphere. Although a number of the buildings around are in private hands, and cannot be visited, the ramparts and bastions of the fort really bring the era to life.
Matara Fort
Built by the Dutch around 1640, the Matara Fort is actually a fortification of an existing Portuguese garrison. There are a number of different buildings and structures located in the fort, of both the Dutch and British eras, however many of these have since undergone renovation or other changes. One of the most interesting, and also one of the oldest, structures inside the fort is the old Dutch church.
Natural Attractions
Hummayanaya
Of the six large blowholes in the world, Hummayanaya is the second largest. The southwest monsoon season, particularly in June, is the best time to visit the blowhole. The displays are spectacular, with the fountain shooting up to 18 metres high, depending upon the amount of water and the strength of the waves.
Muthurajawela Marsh
Located off of Negombo lagoon, just to the south of Negombo itself, this unique wetland habitat is quite popular with ecotourists. It is the largest marsh in all of Sri Lanka, and offers a chance to see the interesting wildlife and plants that inhabit the marshes.
Bundala National Park
This is one of the best bird-watching destinations in Sri Lanka, and it is justifiably famous for its wide range of migratory birds. The various lagoons and marshes are home to over 20,000 birds at any one time. Elephants can also be found here.
