Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka.

Arugam Bay sits 314 km from Colombo on the Dry Zone south-east coast of Sri Lanka, just 2½ km south of the small town of Pottuvil in the Ampara district. The journey from Colombo along the A4 main road via Moneragala takes roughly seven hours, and the reward at the end of that drive is one of the island's most celebrated stretches of coastline — a wide, sweeping sandy beach that draws swimmers, surfers, wildlife enthusiasts and lagoon explorers in equal measure.

The beach fronts the village of Arugam Bay and is open to swimmers all year round. Its coral reef shelters an abundance of tropical fish, making it a fine spot for snorkeling as well. Yet it is surfing that has placed Arugam Bay firmly on the world map.

Surfing at Arugam Bay

The surfing season runs from April to October, when offshore winds prevail, the average water temperature sits at 28 degrees, and the average air temperature reaches 32 degrees. The long, consistent right-hand point break at the southern end of the beach is widely regarded as the finest surf spot in Sri Lanka. Arugam Bay's first international surfing competition was held by the International Surfing Association in the summer of 2004, and despite the devastating tsunami of 26 December 2004, the ISA returned in 2005 to help revive the battered local economy.

Several surf spots are within easy reach of the bay. Arugam Point, close to the bay itself, offers a long right-hand break that, on a good day, produces 2-metre waves and a 400-metre ride. Thirty minutes north by three-wheeler taxi, Potuvil Point is a little smaller than Arugam Point and breaks off a long sandy beach. South of Arugam Bay, about thirty minutes by three-wheeler and a further twenty minutes on foot, Crocodile Rock is a fine spot for beginners and intermediate surfers whenever there is a sufficient swell. Further south still, the village of Okanda, 20 km beyond Panama, also has a popular surfing spot.

Pottuvil Lagoon

Two kilometres inland from Arugam Bay, Pottuvil Lagoon offers a very different kind of adventure. Paddling out into the lagoon and through scenic mangrove swamps with a local fisherman brings visitors face to face with vibrant birdlife, monitor lizards, crocodiles and even elephants.

Dolphin Watching

Between May and September — within the high season of April to October — dolphins can be spotted offshore. A two-hour boat trip out to sea gives a good chance of sighting them.

The Surrounding Countryside

Beyond the beach, the landscape around the village encompasses mangroves, jungle, lagoon, river, rice fields and dunes. Two national wildlife parks in the area are home to elephants and a rich variety of birdlife. The historical and archaeological site of the Buddhist temple known as Magul Maha Vihara adds a cultural dimension, its stone inscriptions revealing something of the long history of this corner of Sri Lanka.

Panama and Crocodile Rock

Twelve kilometres south of Arugam Bay is Panama, the last inhabited village before Yala East National Park. Though it sits somewhat inland, it is intersected by lagoons and rich in birdlife. An apparently endless wide beach, sand dunes, rock boulders and a broad lagoon combine to create an enchanting landscape where water buffaloes wallow and the occasional elephant appears in the savannah-like grassland. Two large rocky outcrops here — named Crocodile Rock and Elephant Rock — bear a striking resemblance to the creatures they are named after; eagles sweep overhead while elephants roam freely around Elephant Rock.

Okanda and Yala East National Park

The village of Okanda, 20 km south of Panama, is home to a famous shrine at the point where the god Skanda is believed to have landed on the island. The shrine serves as the starting point of an overland pilgrimage — the long walk to Kataragama for the 15-day festival held there in July, in the domain of god Skanda. Okanda is also the entrance to Yala East National Park, whose mangroves and Kumana reservoir support a high population of aquatic birds. Although Yala East is the twin of Yala West (Yala Ruhuna National Park), the two are separated by the River Kumbukkan Oya, making direct access between them difficult. Similar in terrain to the more popular Yala West, Yala East is likewise home to leopards, a sizable elephant population and other mammals, though elephant herds here tend to be smaller than those found in Yala West.