About Weligama
Weligama, meaning 'Sandy Village', is a lively coastal town in the south famous for its wide, sweeping bay and iconic stilt fishermen. The bay's gentle, rolling waves make it one of the best places in Sri Lanka for beginner surfers to learn. The beachfront is lined with surf schools, cafes, and boutique hotels, while the offshore island of Taprobane adds to the scenic beauty.
Location on Map
Destination Guide
November to April (south coast season). The wide, sandy bay is perfect for beginner surfing November to March. The stilt fishermen are most photogenic at sunrise.
2-3 days
Key Highlights
- ✨Learn to Surf
Weligama's wide, mellow beach break is the best place in Sri Lanka to learn to surf with dozens of professional schools.
- ✨Stilt Fishermen
The iconic 'Stilt Fishermen' of Sri Lanka balance on poles driven into the rock to fish in the traditional manner — most active at dawn.
- ✨Taprobane Island
A tiny, privately-owned island just 50 metres offshore, built as an exotic villa by Count de Mauny-Talvande and rentable as an exclusive retreat.
- ✨Whale Watching (day trip)
Mirissa is just 7 km east, making it easy to combine surfing in Weligama with a whale watching excursion.
Tours Featuring Weligama
Romance in Paradise
The definitive Sri Lanka honeymoon — Colombo rooftop cocktails, sacred Kandy at dusk, a scenic train through the clouds, private-pool villas on the south coast, and a blue whale encounter at sunrise.
Beneath the Indian Ocean — Sri Lanka Shipwreck Diving
Sri Lanka's most thrilling dive sites in one expedition — WWII-era British and Japanese shipwrecks at Trincomalee (15–32m), the turtle-filled coral reef sanctuary at Hikkaduwa, and open-ocean drift dives with whale sharks and mantas off the south coast.
Golden Shores — South Coast
Sri Lanka's south coast from Colombo to Mirissa — boutique beach hotels, blue whale encounters at dawn, snorkelling over protected coral, wandering Galle Fort's cobbled streets, and your first surf lesson at Weligama.
Explore Other Destinations
Chilaw
A coastal town deeply significant for Hindu pilgrims.
Kurunegala
A bustling crossroads city dominated by massive rock outcrops.
Matale
A vibrant agricultural town famous for its spice gardens.
Badulla
The eastern terminus of the famous hill country railway.
Bandarawela
A major tea-growing town with a superb spring-like climate.
Haputale
A spectacular ridge town overlooking the southern plains.
Knuckles Mountain Range
A rugged, misty mountain range perfect for serious trekkers.
Bundala National Park
A Ramsar wetland vital for migratory waterbirds.