The south of Sri Lanka is an essential stop if you love beautiful beaches, warm weather, water sports and a laid back vibe. The 100–125-mile stretch of coast is dense with beach towns, all of which have their own quaint charm. We chose Unawatuna as it was close to Galle, was a bit more relaxed, close to Turtle Beach and a short drive to Colombo for our return trip home.
We spent two full days here to enjoy the sun, the beach, the sights and of course the food. See my full itinerary and what we got up to below!
Where we stayed
We decided to treat ourselves as we were nearing the end of our trip and booked a sea view room at Agnus Unawatuna! And wow this place did not disappoint. It’s this hidden gem perched up on Rumassala Mountain with amazing views of Jungle Beach, the Japanese Peace Pagoda, and Galle Fort in the distance.
The rooftop infinity pool was truly incredible, and the perfect place to take in those views. We were there on the weekend and enjoyed some free live music on the rooftop and drinks from the lounge bar. In terms of location, the hotel was perfect, so close to everything we wanted to see.
Breakfast was included but that’s just about the only thing they don’t excel on. I’d recommend heading to Unawatuna town and going to one of the many lovely cafes instead.
Galle Fort
Galle Fort is a UNESCO world heritage site that dates back over 2,000 years and was a prominent trading port long before European colonization. It came to prominence under the Portuguese who fortified the town, and then along came the Dutch who built most of what you see today. Lastly it was occupied by the English who added their own architectural stamp, but thankfully preserving most of what the Dutch had done.
It’s a living, breathing fortress with houses, shops, schools, and government offices still functioning inside. I just loved walking the streets that were lined with Dutch-colonial buildings, churches, museums, boutiques, and cafés. I would recommend several hours here to really take it in, and make sure to stay for sunset. Watching the sunset from the Fort Wall was magical with beautiful hues as the suns came down over Galle Bay.
Honestly my only regret was not arriving sooner in the day – I just fell in love with this place.
We stopped for some drinks at a few places and enjoyed dinner at 1710– The Merchant. The beautiful outdoor seating in the gardens drew us in, and the food was incredible. There were loads of great restaurants and bars around every corner, and I wish I could have tried a few more!
Frog Rock
Frog Rock is a natural rock formation just east of Unawatuna, along Dalawella Beach. It looks like a resting frog near the shoreline, which is clearly how it got its nickname. I will admit we came here seeing pics of other travelers who climbed up the rock for some pictures. So yes, I wanted that picture as well. But in reality, it’s not that easy to climb and having arrived in flip flops I didn’t even want to try and scramble up, for the sake of a photo. Not to worry, plenty of safer options around the rock to get a great shot.
Turtle Beach
A short walk down the beach from Frog Rock is Turtle Beach. This particular stretch of coast between Unawatuna and Mirissa is a hotspot for turtles. Multiple species including Green, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Loggerhead, and Olive Ridley turtles are known to nest around here.
We got here early and I would advise the same. We immediately spotted several large turtles in the shallow waters. They would come right up on the shore and certainly weren’t shy of people.
As it’s a popular tourist draw, many locals will sell seaweed to feed the turtles. It’s actually best not to feed them as this encourages reliance on humans for food. However, I must admit I did. It was only after being caught up in the moment of this incredible opportunity to be so close to these animals did I realize this was probably not the best thing for them. Hindsight being 20-20 and all. In truth, you can swim right next to them and there’s no need to feed them anyway!
Palm Rope Swing
Thanks to Instagram and TikTok, the Palm Rope Swing is now a popular attraction. Besides making some great footage, it’s also pretty fun, so definitely give it a go. It’s located at the back of Dream Cabana Guesthouse. For 500 rupees the staff will assist you on to the rope where you can swing out over the beach and the ocean. We actually arrived right as they opened promptly at 9 am and were the first to get a go on the swing that day. I’m sure it’s a lot busier in the afternoons!
Stilt fishing
You’ll see images of Stilt Fisherman all around Sri Lanka on mugs, tshirts and other souvenirs. It’s a traditional fishing method where fishermen sit on a narrow wooden pole fixed into the seabed, a few meters offshore. It’s now become one of the most iconic and photographed traditions on the south coast of Sri Lanka.
We drove from Unawatuna to Koggala – a common place to see the fishermen. That’s because Koggala has shallow reefs, calm waters and rocky seabeds where the poles can be anchored. As it’s become such a tourist draw, for a small fee you can now climb up yourself, take some pictures and have a quick go balancing and fishing!
Once again we went early, but I’ve heard sunset is a particularly popular time to try and get that perfect fishing photo, so keep that in mind.
Unawatuna town
Unawatuna is a cute, laid back beach town. It has what you would expect in most beach towns like cafes, coffee shops, yoga studios, boutique shops, and of course plenty of souvenir shops. The town was very quiet when we visited (September).
We popped into Skinny Toms for lunch as it had some glowing reviews. If you are looking for a deviation from the traditional Sri Lanka fare, this is your place. Think coffee, fresh squeezed juices and a brunch style menu right on the main road. It was delicious.
Unawatuna beach
Unawatuna beach is a beautiful stretch of golden sand and calmer ocean waters. It’s the perfect place to enjoy some water sports, enjoy a swim, or just relax on a lounge bed! There are lots of lovely beach bars as well to grab that Mai Tai and enjoy some sun!
Probably one of the nicer beaches in the area if you have the time to enjoy it.
Sri Lankan Cooking Class
This was our 2nd attempt at a cooking class as unfortunately (but fortunately in hindsight) the one we tried to attend in Kandy didn’t work out, so we booked another one in Galle.
It was such a wonderful experience, that I can’t imagine any other one could top it.
We were picked up from our hotel in a tuktuk, and went to both the local fish market and the Dutch Market in Galle to pick out the ingredients for our meal. The variety and color of the vegetables in the Dutch market was incredible, which it made it hard to choose only six.
The class took place at the home of our instructor (Madhu) in her family’s outdoor kitchen. We learned how to make everything from scratch. This included scraping a coconut by hand and squeezing the grinds to make coconut milk for cooking, to grinding herbs for homemade curry seasoning. In all we learned to make nine different curries, which sounds like a lot, but as everything was so organized and well thought out, we finished cooking and were ready to eat in just 1.5hours.
The attention to detail, the guidance and instruction, and the warmth and hospitality of Madhu and her family was just perfect! I can’t recommend her and this cooking class enough!
Itinerary
Day 1
- Arrive lunchtime
- Galle Fort for afternoon and dinner
Day 2
- Morning – Rope Swing, Frog Rock, Turtle Beach, Stilt Fishing
- Afternoon – Unawatuna Beach and lunch
- Evening – Cooking Class in Galle
Final thoughts
Unawatuna was wonderful and was everything I had wanted it to be and more. I wish we had a bit more time to stay another day to relax on the beach, enjoy the infinity pool at our hotel one more time and head back to Galle in the late afternoon for another sunset. I thought it was the perfect place for a mixture of beaches and culture.
If you want a beautiful location to relax towards the end of your Sri Lanka adventure, I’d highly recommend factoring an extra day or two here.
