Mount Lavinia is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the sea. The beach is crowded on Sundays and public holidays with large crowds gathered to participate in many beach sports activities such as swimming, surfing etc. The Governors House built in 1805 by Sir Thomas Maitland , now forms part of the famous Mount Lavinia Hotel.

An important spice-trading center controlled at various times by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. Today it has a reputation for fine basket ware (visit basket hall) and also for the best mangosteens on the island. Immediately south of the Kalu Ganga Bridge on the main road is the Gangatil Vihara, which has a hollow dagoba (Buddhist shrine) with an interesting painted interior. By the roadside there’s a small shrine and bodhi tree where drivers often stop to make offerings to ensure a safe journey.

South of Colombo, Beruwela marks the beginning of a 130 km-stretch of beaches, where resort development has made immense strides in recent years. Good bathing in the bay all year round.

Bentota Resort complex is a romantic rendezvous of river and sea with several hotels, railway station, post office, shopping arcade, cafeteria and an open - air theatre showing folk and mask dancing with clusters of palms overlooking everything.

The first area to be developed for Tourism, this is still one of the most popular of our beach resorts. Hikkaduwa is famous for its coral and sub tropical fish. The reef, which runs parallel to the shore and is only a few meters below the water, can be investigated with snorkel and flippers, or in a glass-bottomed boat. There are several wrecks in the area which offer interesting dives. Scuba equipment and the services of licensed instructors are on hire from PADI centers. A little further down the coast, there’s good surf for board or body-surfing. There is a generally a community of international surfers in and around Hikkaduwa.

Koggala beach is about 12 kms south of Galle fort. Stilt-Fisherman are a familiar sight here.

Arugam Bay is a fishing village 3km south of the small town of Pottuvil at the remote southern end of the east coast. It probably has the best surf in Sri Lanka, which forms near a low promontory a little further south, and because of this it has developed into a hang-out for low-budget travelers. There’s a wide, sweeping beach in front of the village itself which is good for swimming; and south of the surf promontory a long, deserted beach leads down to ‘Crocodile Rock’, from where wild elephants can quite often be seen. The best period for surfing is between April and September and during this ‘season’ the number of travelers – most of whom are diehard surfers – visiting the area increases. When the season ends the place empties and some guesthouses and restaurants shut up shop, but this may be just what you’re after.

Nilaveli is a prime beach resort in the East Coast. It is ideally suited for sun bathing, sea bathing and diving. A few meters off shore is a small rocky island good for snorkeling. Nilaveli was the venue for the 1985 International Fun Board Championships.