Unawatuna, one of Sri Lanka's popular beach resorts. It is a place you either love or hate. For us, it was a mix of both. There is an awful lot of ‘movement’ in Unawatuna, a fine backpackers atmosphere and an endless choice of restaurants. During the day, you can laze on the beach, visit Galle Fort or do endless shopping in one of the shops. On the other hand, there is an awful lot of annexation and you will find large-scale hotels and everything is geared towards tourists. But still we think a visit here is absolutely worth it if you go to Sri Lanka. Especially because of the large number of activities in and around Unawatuna. Besides, it makes a great stopover or starting point for your trip through Sri Lanka. However, we don't recommend staying here for a long time. If you decide to go to Unawatuna, check out our mini guide!
General information about Sri Lanka
Are you planning a trip to Sri Lanka? Then check out our tips for the best route, the best travel period, visa opportunities and transport to and in Sri Lanka. This way, you will be prepared for your new adventure!
1. Unawatuna beach
Unawatuna beach is one of the most famous beaches in the country and is popular with tourists and locals alike. We found it a nice place to start or end the day.
Tip: The best place to swim is in the middle or south of the beach, where there are fewer people and fewer boats.
2. Learn to surf in Unawatuna
Sri Lanka is a famous surfing destination and suitable for everyone, including beginners! So we definitely recommend renting a surfboard or bodyboard somewhere in this beautiful country. It's cheap and you're guaranteed to have a great time.
3. The famous rope swing in Dalawella
This famous rope swing at Dalawella beach, just south of Unawatuna, went viral on Instagram. This resulted in every visitor wanting a photo near this swing. It is crazy that a simple rope swing can put a country on the map like this, but exactly this happened in Sri Lanka.
Normally, we don't get so excited about this. But walk past it? Then give it a go anyway. We guarantee a lot of fun and it is definitely fun to do! The best time to visit the swing is in the morning, when the sun rises, or during the golden hour when the sun sets.
Tip: A ride on the swing in Dalawella costs about 500 LKR (€2.15). Is it too crowded? Then choose to go to one of the other swings in this area. Like the one on Mihiripenna beach.
4. Jungle beach, Unawatuna
We had not read anything about this before we went to Unawatuna, but the hostel owner indicated that we really needed to visit this place. It is a beach mostly frequented by locals. We found it incredibly cosy, with people eating and music playing everywhere. A big disadvantage was that there was plastic everywhere and it was very crowded. At one point we walked on to the second beach. Here it was a lot less crowded. Although not the best beach in Sri Lanka, it is much quieter than Unawatuna's main beach and definitely worth an afternoon visit.
Tip: You can walk to Jungle beach or take a tuk-tuk (200 LKR - €0.86 euro). If you are hungry or thirsty, there is a small beach hut selling fresh seafood and snacks on the beach.
5. Go to Galle Fort
In several Sri Lanka blogs of us describes this place. In our opinion, this is one place you absolutely must not miss during your tour of Sri Lanka. The beautiful buildings, great viewpoints and many shopping opportunities make this a perfect getaway. You can therefore easily spend half a day here.
Tip: You can easily take a tuk tuk (300LKR - €1.29 ) or local bus to Galle Fort (60LKR- €0.26). Allow for a journey time of around 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Enjoy fresh fruit at the local market
You'll find lots of fruit vendors in Unawatuna, but did you know that north of Unawatuna (7 km) you'll find Galle's colourful fruit, spice and flower markets? These bustling markets are home to some of the best fruit we have ever tried, and the local shopkeepers are more than willing to let you sample all kinds of strange and wonderful tropical fruits.
Where is the best place to stay in Unawatuna?
Unawatuna has an awful lot of hostels, guesthouses and hotels. So you can find suitable accommodation for every budget here.
Find hotels in Unawatuna
How to get to Unawatuna?
The best way to get from Negombo/Colombo to Unawatuna (or vice versa), is definitely by train. It's fast and you have fantastic views.
The train from Colombo Fort to Unwatuna departs 3 times a day, with the earliest departure at 06:55 and the last departure at 18:05. It takes about 2.5 - 3.5 hours. A train journey will cost you about 190LKR (€0.80) for a 2nd class ticket.
Want to know more about Sri Lanka? Check out here all our blogs about this beautiful country. Prefer an organised trip? Then check out the website of Srilankatravel or Riksjatravel. They have been specialists in organising trips to Sri Lanka for years. Together with you, they will look at the possibilities so you can have the trip of your dreams!
We try to keep our blogs as up-to-date as possible but this cannot be done without your help. If anything has changed, please let us know via [email protected].
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase through these links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. By using these affiliate links, you support Thousandtravelmiles. This allows us to roam the world, fund the website and offer you free information for planning your trip. This means that a ‘real’ person will do a little dance of joy if you make a purchase through this link! You're a legend!