Home / South / Weligama

Weligama Beach

South Coast · Matara · nearest town Weligama

★ 4.4 (1)

Swim: Rough

Best time: Nov–Apr

28.2°C · Light rain shower today

Region

South

District

Matara

Nearest town

Weligama

Water

Calm-to-moderate (gentle waves)

Crowds

surf, laid-back, backpacker

Wheelchair

A2 Galle Road between Galle and Matara; frequent buses and coastal-line trains stop in Weligama town.

About Weligama

Weligama means 'sandy village' — and the bay lives up to the name. It's the best beginner surf spot on the south coast: gentle, consistent waves rolling into a wide sandy bay, with surf schools, cafes and guesthouses lining the beach.

✓Best beginner surf on the south coast
✓Gentle bay waves, surf schools & rentals
✓Turtle Bay at the western end
✓Wide sandy beach, quiet vibe
✓Tons of budget-friendly stays

Best time to visit

Nov–Apr (dry season for this coast)

Month	Avg high	Rain days	Suitability
Jan	~30°C	3–5	Excellent
Apr	~32°C	8–10	Good (peak heat)
Jul	~30°C	15–20	Rough / rainy
Oct	~30°C	14–18	Transitional

Weather

28.2 °

Feels like 32.7°

Light rain shower

Wind 10 km/h W (gusts 18) · Humidity 81% · UV 3.7

☀ Sunrise 05:53 AM · Sunset 05:52 PM

Next hours

11 AM

29°

Light rain shower

12 PM

30°

Overcast

1 PM

31°

Patchy rain nearby

2 PM

30°

Patchy rain nearby

3 PM

30°

Overcast

4 PM

28°

Overcast

5 PM

27°

Overcast

6 PM

26°

Overcast

Next 7 days

Mon

27°

Overcast

85%

Tue

27°

Light rain shower

89%

Wed

26°

Overcast

87%

Wave height: 1.5 m Sea temp: 30.5°C Swell: 1.4 m S

Forecasts are model-based; use the climate guidance above for season planning.

Surf conditions

Fair

Swell

1.4 m S

Swell period

Wind waves

0 m SW

Sea temp

30.5°C

Wind

Cross-shore

Tide

Rising

Secondary swell

0.6 m S

Wind blowing along the coast

Next 7 days — surf forecast

Mon

1.6m

10s

Tue

1.6m

11s

Wed

1.5m

10s

Thu

1.3m

12s

Fri

16s

Sat

1.1m

14s

Sun

1.1m

13s

Tide is an approximate rise/fall read (model sea-level, not tide-table times). Surf rating is a general swell/wind read, not break-specific.

Nearby

Restaurants, hotels and more populate automatically from OpenStreetMap.

hotel

Barberyn Beach Hotel

2,679 m

cafe

Single Fin

917 m

pharmacy

Central Pharmacy

128 m

restaurant

Jesmin

98 m

Mo-Su 08:00-21:00

restaurant

AVM Cream House

149 m

restaurant

Catamaran restaurant

785 m

restaurant

Baba's Rotty Shop & Restaurant

707 m

Cuisine: chicken;curry;asian;coffee_shop;seafood;local;pizza

restaurant

Thambily

596 m

Cuisine: breakfast;local

hotel

Maali Resigence

2,862 m

restaurant

Bay Route

1,102 m

Cuisine: lebanese

hotel

ravisha star guest

3,060 m

restaurant

Froggy

991 m

Cuisine: italian

hotel

ME Yoga Villa

3,008 m

restaurant

The Hummus Bar

825 m

Cuisine: lebanese

restaurant

Mom’s Kitchen Restaurant

567 m

restaurant

Crazy Burguer

635 m

attraction

Stilt Fishermen

2,976 m

hotel

Lotus Surf House

4,063 m

restaurant

Kuma

296 m

Cuisine: asian;indian;italian;chicken;friture;oriental;sandwich;fish

restaurant

Fat Burner Live Kitchen

308 m

restaurant

Break Point

455 m

restaurant

rise

1,525 m

Cuisine: italian;pizza · Tu-Su 17:00-21:00

restaurant

Moochie’s

301 m

restaurant

Mama Roma

1,205 m

Cuisine: italian

restaurant

Sea Salt Society

1,206 m

hospital

Medical Center

505 m

24/7

restaurant

Happy Bay

328 m

restaurant

Pasijou

856 m

Mo-Sa 10:00-22:00

pharmacy

Cargills Pharmacy

485 m

Mo-Su 08:00-22:00

hotel

Cheeky Monkey

3,728 m

cafe

Yallah Surf Cafe

757 m

Cuisine: bagel;burger;cake;coffee_shop;deli;ice_cream;local · Mo-Su 09:00-18:00

restaurant

Chef Akila Kitchen

1,368 m

Cuisine: asian

cafe

Flow

250 m

cafe

Pablo Cafe

1,097 m

Cuisine: regional · Mo-Su 09:00-21:00

cafe

Hungry foreigners

1,448 m

Mo-Su 10:00-22:00

restaurant

Ketature Beach Snack

2,788 m

hotel

Easy Stay

3,133 m

hotel

Sundance Surf Camp

3,173 m

hotel

Surf Orchid Villa

3,107 m

restaurant

Kai Beach Club

1,151 m

restaurant

The Natural Earth

681 m

cafe

KOPI

614 m

Sa-Th 08:00-17:00

attraction

Stilt fishermen

3,644 m

cafe

Villa Calton - 32

682 m

Mo-Su 06:00-21:00

hotel

Cocoya

4,367 m

restaurant

Maru

1,173 m

cafe

Souva

1,171 m

cafe

Lunu

1,181 m

cafe

Mahaon Surf Hotel

685 m

cafe

Surf's Up

652 m

cafe

Tulum

694 m

restaurant

La'Fish

281 m

Cuisine: seafood

hotel

Supun's Place- Bo Shadow suite

3,981 m

restaurant

The Cliff Welligama

2,331 m

restaurant

Vin Food

1,930 m

pharmacy

Western Pharmacy

421 m

hotel

The Stables Oceanfront Hotel

3,816 m

Mo-Su 08:00-17:00

attraction

Wild Beach

4,910 m

attraction

Midigama Beach

4,242 m

transport

Weligama Main Bus Stand

176 m

hotel

The Stables Oceanfront Hotel

3,812 m

Mo-Su 08:00-17:00

hotel

Surf Mount Plant Inn Midigama

4,911 m

hotel

Romaclan Villa Rooms

4,829 m

hospital

People's Clinic

440 m

cafe

Zephyr

1,188 m

restaurant

Cutty Sark

1,334 m

Reviews

★ 4 (1)

Scenery4.4

Water4

Cleanliness4.3

Facilities3.6

Crowds4

📌 Editor review

★ 4

If you've always wanted to try surfing, this is the bay to do it — small, forgiving waves and great local instructors. Even non-surfers enjoy the chilled-out vibe and the long sandy beach.

Travel tips

▲13▼

Surf lessons · 1 month ago

Book a lesson with one of the long-established schools on the beach — around 2 hours with board included.

▲10▼

Book a surf lesson early · 1 month ago

Waves are gentlest in the morning; schools along the bay offer beginner lessons and board hire for the day.

▲10▼

Ride the coastal train · 1 month ago

The Colombo-Matara line stops at Weligama and is one of the most scenic rail journeys in Sri Lanka.

▲10▼

Walk west to Turtle Bay · 1 month ago

The western end is quieter than the main surf stretch and the best place for turtle sightings.

▲10▼

Time your visit · 1 month ago

The bay is busiest in the Dec-Feb peak; shoulder months of Nov and Apr still have good surf with fewer crowds.

▲9▼

Turtle Bay · 1 month ago

Walk to the western end at low tide to spot turtles in the shallow water.

▲7▼

Getting there · 1 month ago

About 150 km from Colombo (3.5 hours) — between Mirissa and Matara.

Share a photo

(4 photos)

Got a great shot of Weligama? Add it — it will appear in the gallery above after a quick admin approval.

FAQ

Yes — it's the best beginner surf spot on the south coast, with gentle waves and many surf schools.

Yes - the bay is wide, shallow and sheltered, with soft rolling waves, and surf schools run lessons and board rental right on the beach.

November to April for the small, clean waves beginners need.

Weligama sits on the A2 coast road between Galle and Matara; buses and the coastal railway line stop in town, and the beach is a short walk or tuk-tuk ride from the station.

Yes, the bay is gentle — ideal for families and casual swimmers.

Turtle Bay, at the west end of the beach, is the reliable spot; turtles are regularly seen in the shallow water there, and local operators run viewing trips.

Questions from travelers

Can my kids take surf lessons too?

Yes — several schools teach children; the gentle bay is ideal for first-timers of all ages.

Quick facts

Best timeNov–Apr

Coordinates5.9740, 80.4280

Editorial updated Aug 2026

Getting there

FromColombo (via A2)

Distance~145 km

Drive time~2.5 hrs

TransportBus or taxi

! In an emergency

Nearest major hospital

Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, Galle

Tourist police

Tourist Police: 1912 (Sri Lanka-wide)

Also dial 110 for emergency (Police)

Related beaches

UnawatunaNov–Apr; peak crowds Dec–Mar, with Jul–Sep a quieter secondary window MirissaNov–Apr HikkaduwaNov–Apr (Dec–Mar is the reliable core); the sea is rough and much of the town shuts in the May–Oct monsoon.

Weligama Beach

About Weligama

Best time to visit

Weather

Surf conditions

Nearby

Reviews

Travel tips

Share a photo

FAQ

Questions from travelers

Find your perfect beach