Sport and Adventure in the Galle Coast

There is plenty on offer for the active around the Galle Coast. The neighbouring beach town Unawatuna is a youthful and lively spot which has a beautiful bay that is safe for swimming between December and April. As well as this, there are also a wide range of water-sports in Unawatuna, including snorkelling, scuba diving and surfing. There are also more tranquil beaches in nearby Thalpe and Koggala that are safe to swim in during the season.

If you can tear yourself away from the beach, discover the stunning rural scenery of the places just inland from Galle. Go on a guided excursion to a local village, sailing down the river and cycling through paddy fields and along scenic paths before enjoying traditional Sri Lankan hoppers in a wattle-and-daub hut cooked in the authentic way over a fire.

If that appeals, there are lots of other options for cycling in Galle. Idle Bikes has a range of routes, ranging from the gentle Paddy Trails, which winds slowly through green paddy fields spotted with bright-white egrets, buffalo and the turquoise flashes of kingfishers, to the Paddy and Lake Trail, which meanders for 25km around the magnificent Koggala Lake.

There is also a small area of preserved rainforest near Galle which is home to a variety of tropical flora and fauna as well as monkeys, snakes, chameleons and many different species of bird. Trek through this tropical wilderness with a wildlife tracker who will point out animal sightings on the way, and have lunch in a beautiful spot on the shores of a small lake on the edges of the rainforest.