As unique as it sounds, Arugam Bay will leave you with a unique memory in your holiday or honeymoon days for sure. Many tourists who love water sports visit each year to enjoy their time doing what they love at Arugam Bay.
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What is the best time to visit?
We recommend the months between May and September. If you are visiting towards September and the waves aren’t enough for surfing, just go for the South coast of Sri Lanka. You will find other good surf spots.
Go Surfing!
Arugam Bay is the No. 1 place for surfers to go surfing in Sri Lanka. Whether you are a veteran or a beginner this place got you covered. There are readily available diving and surfing instructors who will assist you around the beach. Also there are surf boards that can be hired for a fair price for a few hours. Take a board and compete with the waves as you surf through! This is a beautiful beach on the East coast that will leave you mesmerized.
Fun night
Arugam Bay has a few bars and pubs around the town and beach. If you are the type of person that wants to have a fun night with others and enjoy the night time there are beach parties with DJ or live music.
Surely there are people out on bars and beach til late night on fridays and saturdays, so you can do a quick search on social media to find which bar or club is having a fun night! You can dance or just chill or have drinks with your friends while enjoying some snacks. The conditions might have changed a bit with the health restrictions in the past, but still the parties can be fun. Make your small vacation exciting!
Check the Food!
This coastal town also features local cuisine, filled with spices, fragrant and fresh seafood. Try having at least one meal a day in local food. You can begin from the fancy food in the restaurants of resorts/ hotels and then move onto street food in those small street shops. We are sure that you can find places for cheap prices and the food also will make you full.
But if you want to try different cuisines other than Sri Lankan, there are restaurants which offer the variety too. However, we recommend to try different local foods to make the best of your stay.
Relax at your own pace
There is always someone who wants to just enjoy the view and atmosphere of the beach. At arugam bay you have the golden sand, the warm sea breeze, sound of waves coming at you, deep blue water, coconut palm trees stretched out along behind you and the sun which will leave you with a tan. Go for a small swim and then add some sun cream if you don’t want a hardcore tan on your skin.
Arugam bay is crowded but not as crowded as in the town area. So you can lay back and relax at your own pace while trying out some drinks from the beachside places.
Muhudu Maha Viharaya
After spending time at the beach, if you want to explore and experience some local culture, visit Muhudu Maha Viharaya in Pottuvil. This is a small drive away from the beach for about 10 minutes, but you can also choose to walk along the beach.
This ancient temple’s white stupa can be seen from the Arugambay beach. We recommend getting a local guide to tell you the story behind the temple because it is truly fascinating. It is more than 2000 years old and we can see the remains of the statues of Lord Buddha, gods, royalty and building structures. You can have a good view of the surrounding area and the beach. Definitely visit to see this historical place.
Kudumbigala Monastery
Another beautiful place to visit to experience Buddhist culture. You can get there after about 1 hour drive, but the visit will be worth the time. The monastery is built around the natural landscape and is away from the bustling city. It is sort of a cave temple.
Where to stay?
In Arugam Bay you can find fancy hotels to stay at and also budget hotels.
Jetwing Surf, Bay Vista, Arugambay Podbay, Surf N Sun, Paper Moon Kudils and Arugambay Roccos are some of the nice hotels in the area.
