A relaxed village with one of the best right-hand point breaks in Asia, empty beaches and lagoons full of wildlife.
On the south-east coast, Arugam Bay is Sri Lanka's surf capital. In season, a long, consistent wave peels along the point and the main road fills with board shops, beach cafés and travellers who came for a week and stayed for a month.
The waves
- Main Point: a famous right-hand point break with long rides, best for experienced surfers.
- Baby Point: gentler and great for improving surfers.
- Whiskey Point: a 20-minute drive north, with friendly waves for beginners and lessons on the beach.
- Peanut Farm and Elephant Rock: quieter beaches south of the bay.
The season runs from April to October, when the south-west monsoon brings offshore winds to the east coast.
Beyond the surf
- Lagoon safaris: take a boat on Pottuvil Lagoon to look for crocodiles, monitor lizards and birds among the mangroves.
- Kumana National Park: an hour south, famous for birdlife and occasional leopards.
- Lahugala Kitulana National Park: elephants often graze by the road in the evenings.
- Muhudu Maha Vihara: an ancient Buddhist temple among the dunes.
Tips
- Elephants cross the roads at dusk, so be careful after dark.
- Dress modestly away from the beach; Arugam Bay sits in a largely Muslim area.
- From November to March the east coast gets the north-east monsoon, and many places close.
Getting there
Arugam Bay is about 3–4 hours by road from Ella, or 7–8 hours from Colombo. Many travellers arrive from the hill country.
