7 Gorgeous Unawatuna Beaches For Surf & Chilling

Unawatuna – love it or hate it, there’s no denying that it sits among some of the most gorgeous beaches on the whole south coast of Sri Lanka.

Yes, granted, the town has become a bit of a bustling resort in recent times, with development of hotels and bars run a bit amok. Yes, I do personally prefer the more “hipster” climbs of Ahangama (man’s gotta have a flat white amirite?), or quieter Tangalle.

But, there are some epic stretches of sand here, some of which offer cracking surf, others just perfecto for chilling in the company of the sea turtles and palms.

For this guide to the top Unawatuna beaches, I’ve drawn a 15-kilometer radius around town and thrown in what I consider to be the crème-de-la-crème of beaches around there.

That means you get beaches up close to the historic city of Galle, and others on the more undeveloped shoreline running southwest. None are more than 15 minutes in a tuk-tuk from Unawatuna itself.

Galle Fort Beach

I have a real soft spot for the little sliver of shiwte sand that lies below the old Portuguese (or are they Dutch?) walls of Galle Fort. It’s really no more than 400 feet of chalk-tinged poweder watched over by the historic towers that crown the bulwarks there. Much of it is shaded by big palms or ironwoods, and there’s only a tiny section where you can wade out for a swim.

Thing is: It’s really fricking lovely. Come here to spend a day deep in a book or people watch from morning to night. You can mosey up into town to eat when lunchtime hits (I HIGHLY recommend AQUA Pizza – it’s got to be one of the best pizzas on the island) and then mosey back down again when you’re full.

Don’t expect a family-friendly run of sand, and there’s ZERO surf to be heard of. It’s just a great chillout spot within walking distance of Galle’s famous historic sights.

>>Read our full guide to surfing and exploring Galle right now

Dewata Beach

Dewata Beach is the the main surf beach of the Galle area and probably the overall top total beginner beach in southern Sri Lanka. The reason? It gets LOADS of protection; from both Galle town, which juts out to the north, and the Unawatuna headland, which juts out to the south.

Basically, any waves that manage to squeeze their way in here are usually uber-mellow log waves or mushy whitewash. There’s now a string of surf schools right on the beach, so just rock up and you can organize a lesson if you like.

The beach itself is nice enough too, and it can pass as a place to hang for a morning or an afternoon. The waters are generally protected to make it a decent swim location, and there is space to lay a towel.

I will say that the north end of Dewata, which is often called Closenberg because of the hotel that looks over it, is the best – it’s the only part of the beach where the main coast road (busy, loud) peels away and gets hidden.

ON the flip side, I really do like the CocoBay Unawatuna hotel that’s on the south side of the bay. That’s also a little bit off the main highway, and has a gorgeous pool and garden area looking north towards Galle in the distance.

>>Read our full guide to surfing at Dewata beach right here

Jungle Beach

Disclaimer: Jungle Beach isn’t the secret it once was. There definitely will be other people there, especially in the morning when most people choose to hop a boat taxi around from Unawatuna proper. That said, it does still have a bit of Robinson Crusoe charm to it, and it’s true to the name in that it’s hidden away under tufts of coastline jungle, away from the hustle of Unawatuna’s main drag.

I like to hike there, not get a boat. It’s part of the fun, and you’ll arrive hot and ready for a swim. A paved path leads from the Buddhist sanctuary that caps off the headland above the beach. It’s a bit narrow at points, but rarely an issue. I am scared of snakes, though, so was a bit like waaaaa.

When you do arrive, you’ll emerge onto a thin-ish sliver of gold-colored sand with a really nice green-blue sea washing against it. There’s some shady sitting spots and some great snorkeling around the reefs. I’m not personally a fan of the restaurants on the beach there, but there some real nice ones back on the main road leading to it, so consider hiking back up a bit to eat.

Unawatuna Beach

Unawatuna Beach is the name of the main run of south-facing sand that caps of the town of Unawatuna itself. It’s lively, it’s usually busy, it’s very protected from open-ocean swells so favored by swimmers, and generally – even I have to admit – rather pretty.

It bends in a huge curve from one end of town to the other, running from the Matara road in the east all the way to the Welle Devalaya shrine in the west. That means space and lots of it, so you should find some room here even though it’s the main beach of the resort.

There’s not really any surf. A kinda-rubbish break can work at the west end under the shrine but it’s nothing worth getting excited about – better spots are in nearby Dalawella and up in Dewata (for beginners).

Where this one shines is in its accessibility and ease. If you’re staying somewhere in Unawatuna itself, this will be your go-to beach as it can be walked to and has all the bars and restaurants of the town just behind. Easy peasy.

>>Read our complete guide to the town of Unawatuna

Dalawella Beach

Dalawella Beach is kinda hidden behind a long row of hotels that seem to have claimed the shoreline just south of Unawatuna town. Many of said hotels have now put up signs saying “no beach access” or whatever. That annoys me a bit – like how you can claim the coast and say people aren’t allowed to walk through your hotel to get to the beach?

Turns out there are ways through. A path through the Dalawella Cemetery can get you there, as can a little alley on the south end. Alternatively, ask in one of the bars real nice and they do tend to let you pass through.

Dalawella is best known for its palm rope swing, which made the spot a bit of an Insta hit. Come for that if you like, but personally I am more interested in the little lagoon pool where you can swim with turtles.

There’s also a fairly decent right-hand reef break at the north end of Dalawella. It’s not for beginners, because it can be a bit shallow, but works like a good hotdogging wave on 2-6 foot swells, when there will usually be a group of locals hitting it.

I would say that this isn’t the best beach for laying down on all day. The tide can make it really thin. There are some good hangout bars behind where you can settle in for a sesh though.

>>Read our complete guide to Dalawella Beach

Mihiripenna Beach

This is classic South Sri Lanka stuff. At Mihiripenna Beach there’s a three-meter wide bend of yellow-tinged sand backed by palms. A rock at the north end of the bay poked right out of the ocean (they say it looks like a frog but I don’t see it). The noise of tuk-tuks and buses echoes from the coast road behind. It’s nice, loveable, with a whiff of hecticness.

If you want to get a patch of sand to call your own for the day, my advice would be to head to the middle of Mihiripenna Beach. That’s the only bit of the bay that’s not yet been totally developed, and there’s just few juice shacks taking up the space.

If you want to swim, watch out for the reef shelves, which do appear in certain spots along Mihiripenna. Watch where there local go – as there are a few natural “swim hole” sort of places between the clusters of rock.

Basically: Mihiripenna Beach is a bit like Dalawella but a touch more local and less built up. Sadly, it doesn’t have surf.

Koggala Beach

Koggala Beach is one of the more secret and untouched locations in the orbit of Unawatuna. I personally adore the spot. It’s the furthest south of all the bays mentioned here, which is probably why it’s not quite so popular – you’re kinda’ closer to the surf town of Ahangama than you are to the bigger resort of Unawatuna.

Anyway, look forward to a very long – like 2.2-mile long – run of sand that’s got seavines sprouting behind and the ocean washing up in front. There’s loads of room. Loads of peace. Just you, the sand, and the ocean. Oh, and the noise from the Matara Road that runs literally right behind, though I don’t find it too annoying.

There’s surf here too. You can get some decent beach break peaks up and down the length of Koggala but you’ll need to catch the tide right and be lucky – they are also basically sandbars that form and reform with the tides. The southernmost end of the bay has a left-hand reef known as Koggala Lefts which can be fun, mainly for bigger boards.

If you like the sound of staying a bit out of the action and want to be away from more heady Unawatuna itself, this is a top spot to base yourself. The Fortress Resort & Spa Galle is the lux option – it’s right on the beachfront, has a stunning pool, and puts the left-hand reef breaks right outside the door of your suite.

>>Read a complete guide to Koggala Beach