GALLE COAST SRI LANKA
Galle is thriving. The fortified old town is enjoying an artistic renaissance and the beautiful beaches around it are dotted with luxurious villas and classy boutique hotels. The revival of Galle, in fact, has quietly influenced its coastline, which has regained its confidence and which has become a favoured retreat for intelligent, independent travellers. It is this area – both north and south of the town -- where Galle’s pull is at its strongest that we prefer to term the Galle coast. Galle’s main attraction is the 17C Dutch Fort, a UNESCO protected World Heritage site. But Galle is also the gateway to seductive sandy coves and the coastal villages of Unawatuna, Thalpe, Koggala and Habaraduwa.
- Ahangama -
The Ahangama and Midigama area are home to the most consistent, and possibly the best, surf in Sri Lanka. Development is ongoing in parts, but for now it remains a relatively low-key region with a mix of surfer-friendly accommodation and the odd villa. The shoreline consists of slim sandy bays and rocky outcrops, though the highway often runs very close to the shore.
- Galle -
The big unmissable destination in the south. It's at once endlessly exotic, bursting with the scent of spices and salty winds, and yet also, with its wonderful collection of Dutch-colonial buildings, a town of great beauty. Classic architecture melds with a dramatic tropical setting to create a reality that is endlessly interesting. Wandering the old walls and streets at random yields one architectural surprise after another as you explore the amazing collection of structures dating back through the centuries.
- Koggala -
Koggala is a small coastal town, situated at the edge of a lagoon on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in Galle District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. Koggala is bounded on one side by a reef, and on the other by a large lake, Koggala Lake, into which the numerous tributaries of the Koggala Oya drain. It is approximately 139 kilometres (86 mi) south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above the sea level.
Koggala has one of the longest beaches in Sri Lanka, and is located in close proximity to the popular tourist resort of Unawatuna, Koggala in comparison is relatively uncluttered as a tourist destination and mostly unexplored.
- Talpe -
The quiet village of Talpe offers you a gorgeous soft white beach for sun bathing and strolling and the sparkling blue green sea for swimming, surfing and snorkeling. A small coral reef forms a natural swimming pool. If you are looking for sun, sea, surf and serenity, Talpe is definitely the place for you. Talpe is a quiet village on Sri Lanka's South Coast with coconut palm fringed beach stretching for miles to the north and south. The popular holiday resort, Unawatuna, in only a kilometer away. The serene Koggala river and the cinnamon estates in the interior can be reached by a short walk or by tuk tuk.
- Unawatuna -
With palm-lined beaches, turquoise waters and a good selection of guesthouses and restaurants, Unawatuna is very popular with travellers. The resort's location is superb, with the historic city of Galle just 6km away and a wooded headland to the west dotted with tiny coves.
Years of insensitive development, however, have resulted in an unappealing sprawl of concrete hotels and restaurants packed together right on the shore, blocking views of the bay in many spots.
Erosion caused by the construction of ill-advised breakwaters have also hit Unawatuna hard, causing massive loss of sand to its fabled beaches. By 2012 the resort was in a poor state. But recent initiatives have certainly improved things, as the authorities have pumped sand from deep water offshore to widen the beach, which now is looking in better shape than it has for years.