Author: Sulan De Silva
For the longest time Sri Lanka has been known for the diversity it offers in terms of experiences. Its beaches have always rated high among not just the tourists that frequent them, but also the local holidaymakers. While the island boasts beaches of varying topography and beauty, spanning the entire coastline, they are mostly known as destinations that give out a chilled-out vibe typical of any island setting.
However, over the recent years, Sri Lanka has been getting a lot of attention as an adventure sport destination. This new outlook is largely due to Sri Lankan beaches gaining global popularity as great surf destinations.
But surfing is just one aspect of aquatic adventure activities (as you would have guessed, there’s a lot more fun stuff you can do in the water). This article will introduce you to the many different aquatic adventure activities you can engage in while visiting Sri Lanka.
Surf’s up
The heading says it all. The surf’s definitely on the ‘up’ in Sri Lanka. While our beaches have been known as surf destinations since the 1970’s, a resurgence of the thrilling activity came about with the end of the three decade-long civil conflict, which opened up access to many of the secluded beaches on the Eastern coast of the island. Key among them is Arugam Bay, which is now listed as one of the top surf spots in the world. With its peak season falling between June and September, surfers are able to enjoy a selection of right-hand sand bottom points and beaches.
Move down to the Southern part of the island, and you can choose from a load of surf-points dotting the coastline. From Hikkaduwa to Weligama and Mirissa, plus a number of other beaches in-between, the South coast offers different settings where surfers can go crazy on the waves. The best time to hit these surf points is between November and April.
The great thing about surfing in Sri Lanka is that: 1) You don’t need to own your own board; there’s plenty of rental options to be found at all main beaches, and 2) You can be a complete newcomer to surfing and easily get a couple of lessons from any of the surf shops that offer this service.
Surf’s up
The heading says it all. The surf’s definitely on the ‘up’ in Sri Lanka. While our beaches have been known as surf destinations since the 1970’s, a resurgence of the thrilling activity came about with the end of the three decade-long civil conflict, which opened up access to many of the secluded beaches on the Eastern coast of the island. Key among them is Arugam Bay, which is now listed as one of the top surf spots in the world. With its peak season falling between June and September, surfers are able to enjoy a selection of right-hand sand bottom points and beaches.
Move down to the Southern part of the island, and you can choose from a load of surf-points dotting the coastline. From Hikkaduwa to Weligama and Mirissa, plus a number of other beaches in-between, the South coast offers different settings where surfers can go crazy on the waves. The best time to hit these surf points is between November and April.
The great thing about surfing in Sri Lanka is that: 1) You don’t need to own your own board; there’s plenty of rental options to be found at all main beaches, and 2) You can be a complete newcomer to surfing and easily get a couple of lessons from any of the surf shops that offer this service.
Surfing and Kites?
No, we don’t have it wrong. If conventional surfing is too mainstream for you, do it with a kite! The Easter and Southern coasts have made their claim to fame with surfing, but the West coast beaches own kitesurfing.
Kalpitiya in particular is known to be one of the windiest places in Asia. As such, the region is a natural hosting ground for kitesurfing. Sri Lanka has two main kitesurfing seasons; one that runs from May to September, and one that runs from December to February. Of the two, the ‘May – September’ season is considered to deliver the better kitesurfing experience with wind-speed reaching around 18-28 knots on a daily basis.
While Kalpitiya is the posterchild for kitesurfing in Sri Lanka, there are several other great spots, all located on the West coast, that deserve equal attention. Some of these are the Kappalady lagoon, Puttalam, Vellar Island, and Mannar. The specialty of these locations is that all of them boast lagoon formations. Lagoons are a vital part of the geographic elements that contribute to the creation of natural conditions necessary for kitesurfing.
Surfing and Kites?
No, we don’t have it wrong. If conventional surfing is too mainstream for you, do it with a kite! The Easter and Southern coasts have made their claim to fame with surfing, but the West coast beaches own kitesurfing.
Kalpitiya in particular is known to be one of the windiest places in Asia. As such, the region is a natural hosting ground for kitesurfing. Sri Lanka has two main kitesurfing seasons; one that runs from May to September, and one that runs from December to February. Of the two, the ‘May – September’ season is considered to deliver the better kitesurfing experience with wind-speed reaching around 18-28 knots on a daily basis.
While Kalpitiya is the posterchild for kitesurfing in Sri Lanka, there are several other great spots, all located on the West coast, that deserve equal attention. Some of these are the Kappalady lagoon, Puttalam, Vellar Island, and Mannar. The specialty of these locations is that all of them boast lagoon formations. Lagoons are a vital part of the geographic elements that contribute to the creation of natural conditions necessary for kitesurfing.
Going Wild with White Water
For the next aquatic adventure activity, we head inland…to is the rapids.
White Water Rafting is a challenging yet exhilarating water sport that involves the navigation of an inflated raft through a series of turbulent rapids. Life jackets are a compulsory wearable item when engaging in this activity, as there is tendency for occupants of the raft to fall overboard.
Kitulgala is the best place in Sri Lanka to enjoy an adventure in white water rafting, with a line-up of rapids that are different to each other providing a 90-minute run on a stretch of water that is about 6.5km in distance. The modern rafts and safety gear that are utilized make it an excursion that is safe even for kids above 10 years. In addition to Kitulgala, Seethawaka and Mahaweli are two other rivers on which white water rafting is conducted.
The best period for white water rafting in Kitulgala is the between May to December. Heavy rains are experienced during the other months making the flow of the river volatile and the white water unsafe. Adventure operators typically advise water-sports enthusiasts on the prevailing conditions.
Going Wild with White Water
For the next aquatic adventure activity, we head inland…to is the rapids.
White Water Rafting is a challenging yet exhilarating water sport that involves the navigation of an inflated raft through a series of turbulent rapids. Life jackets are a compulsory wearable item when engaging in this activity, as there is tendency for occupants of the raft to fall overboard.
Kitulgala is the best place in Sri Lanka to enjoy an adventure in white water rafting, with a line-up of rapids that are different to each other providing a 90-minute run on a stretch of water that is about 6.5km in distance. The modern rafts and safety gear that are utilized make it an excursion that is safe even for kids above 10 years. In addition to Kitulgala, Seethawaka and Mahaweli are two other rivers on which white water rafting is conducted.
The best period for white water rafting in Kitulgala is the between May to December. Heavy rains are experienced during the other months making the flow of the river volatile and the white water unsafe. Adventure operators typically advise water-sports enthusiasts on the prevailing conditions.
With that, we come to the end of our introduction to the three main aquatic adventure activities found here in Sri Lanka; surfing, kitesurfing, and white water rafting. We bet you’re now feeling pumped up to come down here and try some of them out (if not all)! For such a tiny mass of land, Sri Lanka is definitely a hotspot when it comes to showcasing adventure in the water.