Tangalle

Tangalle is a fishing town on the south coast, about 195 km from Colombo, with a string of quiet bays and long beaches on either side. It is calmer and less built up than the beach towns further west, and it is a good base for turtle watching, an ancient rock temple, lagoons and bird sanctuaries.

Beaches

Goyambokka and Pallikaduwa

West of town, Goyambokka and Pallikaduwa are small twin bays with palms, golden sand and calm water in season. Silent Beach, nearby, is another sheltered cove.

Medaketiya and Medilla

East of the harbour, Medaketiya and Medilla form a long beach lined with guesthouses and seafood restaurants. Some stretches are good for swimming in calm weather; ask locally, as currents can be strong.

Marakolliya and Rekawa

Further east, Marakolliya is a long, empty beach backed by a lagoon, and Rekawa beyond it is known for nesting turtles. Swimming is often unsafe on these open beaches.

Hiriketiya

About 30 minutes west near Dickwella, the horseshoe bay of Hiriketiya has gentle waves for beginner surfers and a growing cafe scene.

Turtle watching

At Rekawa, a community project runs turtle watching at night. Green, olive ridley, leatherback, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles have all been recorded nesting on Sri Lanka's beaches, and green turtles are most common here. Visits are guided, with red light and no flash, so as not to disturb the turtles. Nesting happens all year, with more activity in some months.

Mulkirigala

The Mulkirigala Raja Maha Viharaya, about 20 km inland, is a series of cave temples on a rock rising about 200 metres above the plain, traditionally dated to more than 2,000 years ago. Steps lead up past caves filled with reclining Buddhas and murals to a dagoba on the summit with views to the sea. In the 19th century, palm-leaf manuscripts found here helped George Turnour translate the Mahavamsa, the great chronicle of Sri Lanka.

Lagoons and birds

Kalametiya bird sanctuary, east of Tangalle, is a lagoon and mangrove area with herons, egrets, storks, kingfishers and many waders. Boat trips run early in the morning. Closer to town, kayaking on the Tangalle lagoon passes mangroves and birdlife. Rekawa lagoon also offers boat trips.

In town

The small Dutch-era fort near the harbour now serves as a prison and can only be seen from outside. The harbour itself is busy in the mornings, when boats unload their catch.

Getting there and around

Tangalle is about three hours from Colombo on the Southern Expressway, about an hour east of Mirissa and about an hour and a half from Yala. Buses run along the coast road. There is no railway station in town; the nearest is Beliatta. Tuk-tuks are the best way to get between the beaches.

When to go and how long to stay

The season runs from about November to April, when the sea is calmer. The south-west monsoon brings rough seas from about May to September, though Tangalle tends to be drier than the west coast. Three or four nights give time for the beaches, turtles and Mulkirigala.

Food and where to stay

Seafood is the speciality, from grilled fish and prawns to crab curry, at beachfront restaurants and family guesthouses. Accommodation runs from simple cabanas on Medaketiya to boutique hotels and villas around Goyambokka and luxury resorts on the headlands.

Food

Tangalle's beach restaurants display the evening catch on ice, and you choose your fish to be grilled or cooked as a curry. Buffalo curd with kitul treacle is a speciality of this part of the south, sold in clay pots at roadside stalls. In town, simple rice and curry places serve lunch to locals at low prices.

Blowhole and beaches nearby

Hummanaya, near Kudawella west of Tangalle, is one of the largest blowholes in the world. When the swell is right, especially during the south-west monsoon, water shoots high into the air from a gap in the rocks. To the east, Ussangoda is a strange red-earth plateau above the sea, linked in legend to the Ramayana, and Kalametiya and Rekawa lagoons lie between them.

Suggested plan

Spend the first day on Goyambokka or Silent Beach, then join an evening turtle watch at Rekawa. Next morning, visit Kalametiya early for birds, and climb Mulkirigala in the late afternoon for the view at sunset. A third day could include Hiriketiya for a surf lesson, or a trip to Hummanaya blowhole near Kudawella.