By rail
Bentota, on the coastal line from Colombo
Indian Ocean Islands · Sri Lanka
Bentota, Sri Lanka
A river lagoon and long beach on the south-west coast
Getting there
By air
Bandaranaike International (CMB), ~1.5 h by road
Best time to visit
November to April — dry, calm seas
Don't miss
Bentota beach
The Bentota river
Lunuganga
The Kosgoda turtle hatchery
Things to do
Beach days
Boat trips on the Bentota river
Water sports
The turtle hatcheries
Where to eat
What to pack
Swimwear, sunscreen, light clothes
A quieter corner
Lunuganga, the architect Geoffrey Bawa's country garden
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Bentota?
November to April — dry, calm seas. What to pack: Swimwear, sunscreen, light clothes.
How do I get to Bentota?
Fly into Bandaranaike International (CMB), ~1.5 h by road.
What is there to do in Bentota?
Beach days, boat trips on the Bentota river, water sports, the turtle hatcheries. A quieter find: Lunuganga, the architect Geoffrey Bawa's country garden.
What should I eat in Bentota?
Sri Lankan rice and curry and fresh seafood.
About Bentota
- Coastal
- Riverside
Where it is
Bentota is a coastal town in the Galle district of Sri Lanka's Southern Province, on the south-west coast where the Bentota river meets the Indian Ocean.
History
Bentota was a halt on the old coastal road of the colonial era, and the town was among the first places in Sri Lanka developed for beach tourism, from the 1960s. The architect Geoffrey Bawa built his country garden, Lunuganga, nearby.
People
Bentota's people speak Sinhala, and the town mixes fishing families and craftspeople with those who run the hotels and boats along the river.
Known for
- A long golden beach
- The Bentota river and its mangroves
- Geoffrey Bawa's Lunuganga
- Turtle hatcheries along the coast
Did you know?
Geoffrey Bawa worked on his garden at Lunuganga for about fifty years.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.