Arugam Bay

A laid-back surf town on Sri Lanka's south-east coast, rated among the world's finest right-hand point breaks and the gateway to the district's wild lagoons and jungle temples.

Overview

Arugam Bay is the best-known destination in the Ampara District, a crescent of golden sand on the far south-east coast where a mellow strip of surf camps, cafes and guesthouses lines a single sandy road. It is celebrated worldwide for its long right-hand point break, which draws surfers between roughly April and October when the rest of the island is under monsoon. Beyond the waves, the area is a springboard for lagoon safaris at Pottuvil, elephant-watching at Lahugala, and the ancient jungle monasteries of Kudumbigala and Magul Maha Viharaya. Its relaxed, barefoot pace and reliable dry-season sun make it the natural base for exploring the district.

History

The bay sits within the historic Batticaloa territory and was long a small fishing settlement of Muslim and Tamil communities around neighbouring Pottuvil. It grew into a surfing destination from the 1970s onward, but the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated the coast and much of the village. Rebuilt in the years that followed, Arugam Bay has since become one of Sri Lanka's premier surf towns and the only international surf-competition venue in the country.