Unawatuna Beach Sri Lanka

Unawatuna Beach is located just south of Galle, 125km from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. It is perfectly situated, small and highly sought-after bay on Sri Lanka's less-developed South coast. This beautiful stretch of beach lies 4 km to the south of Galle. Unawatuna, located 4km’s southward around the coast of Galle, is a beach resort waiting to happen. This 4km expanse of palm-fringed sand is said by some to rank amongst the twelve best beaches in the world. Unawatuna, is still far from being over-developed. But this beach is a paradise for all those who yearn to listen to the silence of the sea and dive deep into the blue waters of the ocean. There is a reef protecting the beach, which makes it perfectly safe for bathing. Other major attractions of this south coast beach include providing shallow waters for swimming, and diving. Within its reach it has an accessible, reasonably well-preserved coral reef that serves as the base for snorkeling. For all those who fancy scuba diving, this tropical bay at the south of the coast of Galle will definitely catch your fancy since for the scuba divers, there are several wreck dives only 20-30 minutes away from the beach by boat .Thus it is the most favored beach for all those looking for some exciting water sport activity like swimming, scuba diving or snorkeling.

The beautiful wide curving Golden Unawatuna beach mesmerizes you to take a deep plunge into the blue waters, offering you an exhilarating experience that would last for a lifetime. The beach has been acclaimed amongst 12 best beaches in the world. The legend of Ramayana has also been attached to Rumasssala, a rocky outcrop jutting into the sea at Unawatuna. This rocky outcrop is believed to be a piece of mountain that was fallen when Lord Hanuman brought the mountain to Sri Lanka in search of a medicinal herb to treat Laxamana - Rama's brother wounded in battle. 

Unawatuna Beach Resort lies sheltered at the end of the bay underneath the shade of tropical palm trees. Unawatuna Beach Resort is a sunny, modestly-sized hotel of enduring popularity. It is a haven for those who crave to revel in a beautiful beach and indulge in entertaining evenings. This small bay is graced with golden sands and a calm turquoise sea .The serene surroundings and the Dutch architecture also add its own charm to the place. The enchanting Unawatuna Beach calls all the travelers to revel in the sandy, pristine beaches and get a feel of the Sri Lankan southern coast.

Eco-Tourism

Unawatuna is rich in its biodiversity. Unfortunately, its greatest potential attraction for eco-tourism was the marsh land or mangrove called Kadolana which was partially destroyed, dredged and filled up to build a chain hotel which never got off the ground. Many locals believe it to have been cursed for being built at the doorstep of the Wella Devalaya.

Over sixty species of endemic birds, including Terns, Egrets, Herons, Sandpipers, Kingfishers, as well as rarer species such as the Lesser Whistling Duck, the Asian Palm Swift, the White Breasted Waterhen, the Turnstone Loten's Sunbird, and the Black Bittern have been sighted in the locality by the ornithologist, Clive Byers. These birds are mostly sighted in the remaining marshy area and Rumassala Hillock.

Off the coast of Unawatuna, beneath the Indian Ocean lies a number of coral reefs, shipwrecks, and a great variety of fish and turtles. The turtles still wade onto the shore to lay their nests and eggs, and at times, as if to lay first claim to the sandy shore now invaded by thetourists and dotted by restaurateurs, even go right into the beach front restaurants .

The Rumassala coral reefs at the east end of the Galle Harbor attract divers, but are now endangered due to possible port development. Eco treks in the shrub jungles of Rumassala are also available.