Unawatuna is a large fishing village blessed
with a beautiful sandy bay fringed with palm
trees, calm turquoise water, and a bright white
Dagoba on the western point. Located 121 kilometers
from the capital Colombo and 5 kilometers from
Galle, it is steeped in mystery, history and
legend, and was once voted the best beach in
the world by the Discovery Channel. Here you
may find yourself doing nothing more than lying
in the sun and taking in the beauty of the place.
Nevertheless, Unawatuna has a lot more to offer.
This destination of endless white sandy beaches
could be reached both by train and hired or
bus transport in about 4 to five hours.
When the Dutch ousted the Portuguese from Galle
in 1640, many houses were built for their officials
in nearby Unawatuna as country residences. Some
still retain their Dutch architectural character.
One place is Bathfield House, or Nooit Gedatch,
the Dutch Commander’s lodge, now a hotel
situated near the Unawatuna junction.
There are some charming legends concerning Unawatuna
and how the village’s name is associated
with the hillock called Rumassala Kanda on the
west end of the bay. This prominence looks very
out of place in the generally flat landscape
of the region.
One legend is from the Great Indian Epic, the
Ramayana, where its states that when Prince
Rama and his brother Lakshman were fighting
the demon-king Ravana of Lanka who had abducted
Rama’s wife, Princess Sita, Lakshman was
wounded in battle and Rama sent Hanuman, the
monkey god, to the Himalayas to find some special
medicinal herbs that might save the life of
his brother. When Hanuman got to the Himalayas
he forgot which herbs he needed and in desperation
took with him, twisted in his tail, a chunk
of the mountains. On his way back to the battlefield
he dropped a piece at Unawatuna forming this
hillock. That’s why the village name means
“fell down.” Another chunk is said
to have been dropped by Hanuman to form the
Ritigala Mountain, in the North Central Province.
Rumassala Kanda is filled with a great variety
of unusual vegetation and protected valuable
medicinal herbs not found anywhere else in the
area, making this story seem mysteriously possible.
Indeed, as many people believe that Rumassala
is a fragment of the holy mountains, sanyasis
search here for the plant sansevi or the Tree
of Life, which is said to give immortality.
You can walk along the paths through the jungle
that covers Rumassala to the top of the hill
where an edifice is being built by Japanese
monks of the Mahayana sect - along with a statue
of Hanuman. From here, there are wonderful views
across to Galle Harbour and on a clear day you
can see Adam’s Peak. It is also a good
place for bird watching with over 60 endemic
species to be seen.
The other legend associated with this hillock
is of a yodhaya or giant sent to the southeast
of the island by a Sinhalese king to collect
medicinal herbs. After finding them on two hills
he took them in his basket, but accidentally
dropped them in Unawatuna. Rumassala Kanda and
nearby Talpe Kanda, the other side of the Galle
Road, are the hills he was carrying. Allegedly,
if you go at midnight to the gap between the
two hills you may see a strange, big, shadowy
figure!
Legend and history aside, Unawatuna is protected
by a double reef and so is safe for swimming
year round. You can snorkel in the clear blue
waters of the bay, and hire equipment from the
beachside restaurants. It is also a great place
to dive. Or you can go fishing or snorkeling
out to sea by using the traditional catamarans
dotted along the beach. Attractions at Unawatuna
include a rainforest, a Dutch fort, several
museums of diverse nature, an international
cricket stadium – and yes, yet more fabulous
beaches.
Unawatuna has only developed into a major tourist
beach over the last 15 years. It used to be
lined with catamarans waiting to go out to sea,
with jungle on the western end overhanging the
beach, and only a few restaurants to sate your
appetite and quench your thirst. Now many restaurants
line the whole curve of beach with sun beds
enticingly placed outside. Because there are
no big hotel complexes here, and no busy road,
it is a favorite of tourists staying a few months.
With welcoming locals and an unforgettable ambience,
it is easy to see why. The dagoba on the western
point of the bay is worth walking to since it
affords great views of the bay. It was recently
built over the abode of the deity who landed
here thousands of years before. At Esala full
moon this deity is celebrated in a colourful
six-day festival when thousands flock to offer
pooja here.
Further along the beach, heading south, are
a number of charming secluded coves and palm-lined
beaches with the hotels of Koggala visible in
the far distance. Fifteen minutes east from
Unawatuna along the south coast is Koggala.
It is a quiet town characterized by the World
War Two airstrip and beautiful lake dotted with
many islands. Here you can take a boat or catamaran
trip through the mangrove taking you to a Buddhist
Temple, the Ananda Spice Garden, where, you
will find a cure for any ailment, and to Cinnamon
Island. The Folk Museum contains a colourful
collection of Sri Lankan tradition with exhibits
ranging from a valuable collection of masks,
puppets and folk games, to metal craft, carpentry
and carts.
Other sites at Koggala include the Purvarama
Mahaviharaya, 3km away in Kataluwa, contains
murals and temple paintings including some 200-year-old
Jakarta stories depicting episodes of the Buddha’s
life. At Habaraduwa, 2km west, is a small turtle
hatchery where you’ll see nesting spots
and some of the five species of turtles in tank.
Kottawa Rainforest and Arboretum, only 45 minutes
from Unawatuna, is a much smaller forest measuring
only 1,800ha in extent. You’ll see a great
variety of plant life, from the fungus on the
giant tree trunks, to the mossy, damp leaf-litter
hiding lizards and frogs, within a wet zone
habitat that these creatures thrive in. The
trees are marked along the pathways so you can
identify each one. Butterflies flutter past
you and many brightly coloured birds that you
can hear twittering in the trees come to lighten
the gloom. Many are endemic to Sri Lanka such
as the Grey Hornbill. As far as mammals go,
you may catch glimpses of the Sri Lanka Giant
Squirrel and Purple-faced Leaf Monkey.
There are other places to visit close by. Dalawella,
is picturesque, quiet and great for a sunset
stroll located 2.5 kilometers from Unawatuna.
It is quite narrow but is great for bathing
and safe for children since the waves break
on the rocks further out, leaving a large swimming
pool of translucent water. The little bay is
marked by a cluster of rocks at the western
tip where you can see stilt fishermen perched
on large sticks above the sea in the early morning
and evening. It is a lovely place to relax for
a day, and although you do not have the luxury
of beach beds, there are a handful of guesthouses
with restaurants within wonderful palm-shaded
gardens where you can get lunch or a drink.
Unawatuna is the ideal place to relax and unwind.
As importantly, however, it is in a perfect
position to allow you to easily explore the
surrounding area and discover more of Sri Lanka’s
secrets. With secluded beaches to visit very
close by, a slice of Sri Lankan history at your
doorstep, and a beautiful piece of unspoilt
rainforest within easy reach, it would be a
shame to miss out. All places can easily be
reached by three-wheeler or bus.
