Weligama is Sri Lanka’s surfing paradise. Weligama may not be the most beautiful town in the world, but it has firmly established itself as the destination to go for Sri Lanka’s first ever waves. What’s the reason? So, how does a massive horseshoe bay with over 4.5 miles of lapping beach break sound?

The best waves are right in the heart of Weligama. It’s perched on a spit of land surrounded by the murky Polwatta River to the back and cinnamon-colored dunes to the front. The fact that there is a good primary and secondary swell is fantastic. Surf schools like the latter, which is crumbly and forgiving. When the forecast calls for a big period and something over 7 feet, you can catch some bombs out back. You can choose from a plethora of surf schools. Unfortunately, several of the beachside establishments do not have the best reputations. Lucky’s Surf School has been in operation for many years and is run by a member of the Sri Lanka National Surf Team. Layback, on the other hand, offers surf and yoga packages with dorm and private options from its base in the centre of Weligama.

Hiriketiya Beach has one palm-threaded beach and two big waves.Hiriketiya’s name is being spoken everywhere on the island right now, as if it’s some long-lost Shangri-La of surfing. All of the excitement has sparked a lot of growth in the small community. What’s the concern? Its low-key days are definitely coming to an end. For the time being, though, it remains a small slice of surf paradise in Sri Lanka’s southwest.

Hiriketiya is a paradise of bobbing sea turtles and bowing coconut trees, a lovely hyperbola of a bay that bends in just around the headland from Dikwella city. It is surrounded by two headlands that help shape and refract the swells into two distinct breaks. The Hiriketiya beach break is a super-mellow ride where beginners can practise all day. The second is a rapid left-hand reef that provides intermediates and up-and-down rips over urchin-caked rocks.

Salt House is a laid-back yoga-surf hotel within a short walk of the main beachfront. Casa Vana provides a more private experience in the forests, as well as a few resident pets for company. At night, make your way over to Dikwella Beach for Smoke & Bitters, which has been named one of Asia’s 50 best cocktail bars!

Secret reefs and ultra-cool surf camps await at Hangarama.There are roughly ten surf spots in Ahangama. They’re all strung together along a coral shelf that extends between the vacation town of Unawatuna and the nearby surf town of Midigama. The entire region is connected by the hectic Matara Road, which is a constant stream of racing tuk-tuks and swaying buses, so it’s far from tranquil, but it’s easy to manage.

Kabalana Beach is responsible for putting Ahangama on the map. Back there is The Rock, a steep A-frame that is hollow on big days and section on smaller days. There is, however, a sand-bottomed beach break for students. It’s a good one, and a slew of surf schools from Weligama and beyond have made the trek to take advantage of the forgiving lefts and rights. As you travel south from Kabalana through Ahangama proper, you’ll spy more surf breaks than you can shake a brinjal curry at. Lots remain secret spots, but it’s worth knowing about Marshmallow – a very mellow deep reef for all levels – and Sticks – a more challenging spot for intermediates.

From May through October, Arugam Bay is the place to surf. During the south-western monsoon, Arugam Bay is the go-to surf destination. Between May and October, this sends harsh ocean currents and a lot of rain to pretty much every other place on this list. Meanwhile, the east coast of the island, where A-Bay, as it’s become known, is blessed with regular groundswells and sunny days.

There are a variety of breaks available here. The right-hander of Main Point, closest to town, is a fast ride that can reach up to 150 metres (492 feet) on good days. To the south, the beginner’s pick is Peanut Farm, followed by the punchy spots of Okanda for the pros.

In the previous few decades, Arugam Bay has grown into a sizable resort town. The road behind the beach is now lined with curry establishments and beer bars, and it can get rather rowdy in the summer. The most well-known place to learn to surf is SAFA Surf Camp, which has packages for all skill levels. 

Midigama: consistent rights and lefts over gleaming coral gardens the coconut palms lean low against the clear-water bays of Midigama, which wrap around a bend in the southwest coast of Sri Lanka between Weligama and Ahangama. This is the land of reef points on the right and left. The greatest is Ram’s, a rare expert break over tough coral gardens near the now-legendary Ram’s Guesthouse.

But Midigama has more to offer. Coconut’s is a deep-water reef featuring left and right sections, a challenging paddle out, and a fantastic shoulder for cutting back and turning. And then there’s Lazy Left, a peeling, goofy wave that has to rank among Sri Lanka’s best longboard alternatives.

Jamu Surf Lodge is located in the heart of Midigama. It’s hidden between a grassy stretch of beach and a phalanx of stick-thin coast palms, offering polished concrete chambers from head to toe. On-site, there’s also a boho cafe serving some of the fluffiest stacks of morning pancakes on the island.

Hikkaduwa: surf beneath cocktail bars. There isn’t a single empty wave set in Hikkaduwa these days. This is one of the most developed of the southern surf towns. It’s easy to understand why. It not only has breaks for all levels, but it also has a reputation for being a bit of a party town. Bennies has the best wave in the neighbourhoods. That can handle up to 10-foot swells, occasionally gets hollow, and has open faces to carve with turns from bottom to top. There’s also the Narigama beach break, which is similar to Sri Lanka’s counterpart to Kuta in Bali, a.k.a. a learner’s paradise. Villa Saffron Hikkaduwa is the place to stay if your budget allows. It’s a short walk from Narigama Beach and features large suites with indoor-outdoor bathrooms that spill into antique-filled common areas—really cool.

Mirissa après-surf scene is thriving. Mirissa, long a haven for rowdy nights in beachfront bars, is nevertheless washed by the same Indian Ocean swells as the rest of the southwest coast.

They rocket up a reasonably quick right-hander that zips over a shallow rock reef at the western end of the sand between November and March (for advanced surfers). They also roll into the neighbouring bay’s fishing breakwater, creating a crumbly left-hander with an easy paddle channel (for intermediates and up). Mirissa has a lot of visitors. Everything from whale watching to pub crawls takes place here, so don’t expect to catch any waves. To get away from the crowds, climb the hilly trail to Secret Beach. There’s no surf, but a few of the lovely conch-shell bays emerge from the coconut groves—just watch out for the mischievous langur monkeys.

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