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Beaches · Unawatuna

Unawatuna: The Sheltered Bay Near Galle

By Days of Iru and Opa
Unawatuna: The Sheltered Bay Near Galle
📷 Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons · source

Unawatuna is one of the south coast’s most popular beaches, a gentle crescent bay just minutes from Galle. Calmer than the surf beaches further east, it suits swimmers and families.

The beach

The main bay is protected and shallow in parts, with cafes and guesthouses lining the sand. It gets busy in high season, but early mornings are quiet.

Jungle Beach and the pagoda

A short walk or tuk-tuk over the headland reaches Jungle Beach, a small cove good for snorkelling. Above it, the Japanese Peace Pagoda gives a view along the coast.

Snorkelling and diving

There is coral and a shallow reef offshore, and dive shops in the village run trips to nearby sites and wrecks.

Nearby

Galle Fort is ten minutes away for sunset walks on the ramparts, and the beaches around Dalawella are a stroll east.

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