One of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka, Weligama, or “sand village” also boasts some of the best and most beautiful beaches in the whole island. There are many small villages in the area, most of them having the classical features of a small maritime settlement. Sometimes, it is easy for one to spot them nestled on the sand against deep green forests and coconut groves. Weligama on the whole is a sandy sweep bay.

Weligama is a popular beach destination in the Southern Province, or more specifically the Matara District. As for places to stay, there is the Weligama Bay Resort and many other beach hotels which offer many activities including surfing and angling.

Weligama as a whole is about thirty feet above sea level at its highest point and has a small population. Some of the people here are stilt fishermen, the men who so often appear on Sri Lanka-based memorabilia almost everywhere. Their craft requires extreme delicacy and practice. One can spot these innovative men dipping their simple reel-less rods into the shallow water just off shore.

Another important cottage industry here is the lace industry. The traditional beeralu lace of Sri Lanka is actually descended from Portuguese and Dutch lace-making. Another landmark off the Weligama coast is Taprobane Island. The island is a miniscule, somewhat forested rock with a single villa on it. It is a private island in the ownership of the so-called Count Maurice Maria de Maundy Talvande.

Things to do in Weligama

In the south coast, the whale & dolphin watching season is operational in the months of October to April. During the season, there are daily whale & dolphin watching boat excursions departing from the Mirissa Fisheries harbour at 6:30AM in the morning. The average duration of these deep seas excursions are around 4-5hours. The Mirissa Fisheries harbour is located towards the South-Eastern end of the Weligama Bay.

Learning to surf is one of the best things to do in Weligama. The shallow sandy waters with consistent surf breaks, makes Weligama beach one of the best locations to learn surfing. It offers waves in both left & right direction.

Among the other important places to see in Weligama are a few historical places, like Kushta Raja Gala. It is one of the only historical sites still remaining on the southwestern coast, the Wet Zone ecological region. The rock temple currently has a massive statue of the Mahayana deity Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. It was built after a foreign king suffering from a skin disease came to Sri Lanka to be cured. It is almost certain that it might not have been leprosy as is mentioned in the name of the rock itself. Leprosy became curable only with the advent of proper western medicine, which the ancient Sri Lankans did not possess.

Written by Vasika Udurawane for Travel Lanka Compass