A seaside fishing village voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by the Discovery Channel and Mark Ellingham, founder of 'Rough Guides' has to be remarkable. Having enchanted the iconic science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke with the “exquisite arc of the beach,” the writer made it his second home.

So it is with Unawatuna, steeped in mystery, history and legend, a place that derives its name from a rocky outcrop supposedly created by a piece of earth from the Himalayan mountains, dropped from the sky by the monkey-god Hanuman in the epic Ramayanaya.

Here you may find yourself doing nothing more than lying in the sun and taking in the beautiful golden sanded bay, fringed with palm trees and calm turquoise water. However, Unawatuna has a lot more to offer.

Unawatuna has only developed into a tourist beach over the last 15 years but unlike other beach's around Sri Lanka, it is still a relatively unknown place, making it an excellent location to enjoy the tropical beauty that is Sri Lanka.

Unawatuna used to be lined with catamarans waiting to go out to sea, with jungle on the western end overhanging the beach, and only a few restaurants to satisfy your appetite and quench your thirst. Now the beach side bars and restaurants are in abundance lining the whole curve of beach with sun beds enticingly placed outside. Because there are no big hotel complexes here, and no busy road, it is a favourite for discerning visitors staying a few months. With welcoming locals, the right balance of small supermarkets, Internet cafe's and handicraft shops and an unforgettable ambiance, it is easy to see why.

What is there to do?

Legend and history aside, what is there to do? The golden beach of Unawatuna is protected by a double reef and is not only ideal for safe swimming, snorkeling, wreck and reef diving but as a nesting ground for four out of five species of marine turtles found in Sri Lanka.

You can snorkel in the clear blue waters of the bay, and hire equipment from the beach-side restaurants. It is also a great place to dive. Or you can go fishing or snorkeling out to sea by using the traditional catamarans dotted along the beach.

Sri Lanka’s traditional meal is rice and curry so while you are here why not have a cookery lesson? Karuna can show you how on a one-day course that involves a trip to the markets of Galle to buy your ingredients. You will make spice-powder, cook five vegetable curries and meat curry the authentic way, and make coconut pancakes for dessert. (Sonja Health Food Restaurant, No. 52, Yadehimulla Road; Tel: +94 (091) 224 5815 for advance booking.) While there, go next door to Pala’s Jewellery (same contact details). Pala will make any design that you want and can even teach you how to make your own jewelery.

The dagoba on the western point of the bay is worth walking to since it affords great views of the bay. It was recently built over the abode of the deity who landed here thousands of years before. At Esala full moon this deity is celebrated in a colourful six-day festival when thousands flock to offer pooja here.

So, where to eat?

On the western end of the bay The King Fisher’s Restaurant has an extensive menu with fresh seafood day and night, music in the evenings and discos on Wednesdays and Saturdays in season. Village Roti Restaurant is great for Sri Lankan specials, while Pink Elephant at the centre of the bay is a lovely wooden beach restaurant with good views and delicious food. Further along, the Italian-run Full Moon Resort serves up excellent pastas and salads in a comfortable setting.

Traveling time from Sri Lanka's International Airport to Unawatuna takes about 4.00 h by car.

When staying in Unawatuna don’t get too distracted by the beach and water sports, for only a few kilometres away there are a number of varied attractions. These include a rainforest, a Dutch fort, several museums, an international cricket stadium and yes, yet more fabulous beaches.

Unawatuna is the ideal place to relax and unwind. As importantly, however, it is in a perfect position to allow you to easily explore the surrounding area and discover more of Sri Lanka’s secrets. With secluded beaches to visit very close by, a slice of Sri Lankan history at your doorstep, and a beautiful piece of unspoilt rainforest is within easy reach. All places can easily be reached by three-wheeler or bus.

More Beaches

If you are here for Sri Lanka’s most popular attraction – the beaches – you will be pleased to know that less than 10 minutes south-east of Unawatuna Bay is the start of a series of undeveloped, natural beaches and picturesque coves.

Dalawella, 2.5km from Unawatuna, has a lovely unspoilt beach. It is quite narrow but is great for bathing and safe for children since the waves break on the rocks further out, leaving a large swimming pool of translucent water. The little bay is marked by a cluster of rocks at the western tip where you can see stilt fishermen perched on large sticks above the sea in the early morning and evening. It is a lovely place to relax for a day, and although you do not have the luxury of beach beds, there are a handful of guesthouses with restaurants within wonderful palm-shaded gardens where you can get lunch or a drink. You can stay in wooden sea-view cabanas at Wijaya Beach Cottage (Dalawella; Tel: +94 (091) 228 3610) if you get a feel for the place, although it is only a short three-wheeler ride away from Unawatuna.

Further along the beach, heading south, are a number of charming secluded coves and palm-lined beaches with the hotels of Koggala visible in the far distance. Talpe, a few kilometres on from Dalawella, is picturesque, quiet and great for a sunset stroll.

Koggala

Fifteen minutes east from Unawatuna along the south coast is Koggala. It is a quiet town characterised by the World War Two airstrip and beautiful lake dotted with many islands. Here you can take a boat or catamaran trip through the mangrove taking you to a Buddhist Temple, the Ananda Spice Garden, where, it is said, you will find a cure for any ailment, and to Cinnamon Island. Trips usually last about an hour.

Opposite the Club Horizon Hotel, and over the railway line is the Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum (9am – 5pm, Tuesday – Sunday). Wickramasinghe was a famous Sri Lankan author who wrote his first book at the age of 13, and who received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in June 1953. He was born and lived out the last years of his life in the little house within the seven acres of this well-maintained land that has been transformed into a museum and Hall of Life with no modification to its original design.

The Hall of Life contains his complete collection of books, manuscripts, photos, honorary degrees and personal documents including his passport, telephone book and letters to his wife, Prema. The grounds contain his grave and some labeled trees.

The Folk Museum contains a colourful collection of Sri Lankan tradition with exhibits ranging from a valuable collection of masks, puppets and folk games, to metal craft, carpentry and carts.

A walk along the beach in Koggala is pleasant in the morning or evening. There are other places to visit close by. Purvarama Mahaviharaya, 3km away in Kataluwa, contains murals and temple paintings including some 200-year-old Jakarta stories depicting episodes of the Buddha’s life. At Habaraduwa, 2km west, is a small turtle hatchery (Open 7am-6.30pm) where you’ll see nesting spots and some of the five species of turtles in tanks.

Kottawa Rain Forest and Arboretum

Although the most famous piece of undisturbed rainforest in Sri Lanka is the Sinharaja Biosphere Reserve, it has smaller neighbours that, although do not contain the extent of species as in Sinharaja, are every bit as rewarding to visit.

Kottawa Rainforest and Arboretum, only 45 minutes from Unawatuna, is one of these. It is much smaller than Sinharaja measuring only 1,800ha in extent. You get a great experience of a rainforest environment under the huge trees forming such a compact canopy above, walking along in a comparative gloom to the bright sunshine many meters above.

You’ll see a great variety of plant life, from the fungus on the giant tree trunks, to the mossy, damp leaf-litter hiding lizards and frogs, within a wet zone habitat that these creatures thrive in. The trees are marked along the pathways so you can identify each one. Butterflies flutter past you and many brightly coloured birds that you can hear twittering in the trees come to lighten the gloom. Many are endemic to Sri Lanka such as the Grey Hornbill (Tockus griseus). As far as mammals go, you may catch glimpses of the Sri Lanka Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura) and Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Tachypithecus vetulus).

You can take a guided tour, which is by far the best option. I recommend you ask about trips to this rainforest and others including Sinharaja from Jetwing’s The Lighthouse Hotel and Spa (Dadella; Tel: +94 (091) 222 3744; Email: lighthousehotel@ lanka.com.lk) 4km north of Galle, because they have naturalists with the best equipment and who know these rainforests well.