Arugam Bay

Surfer resort, touristic fishing village, green palm trees and wild elephants ... but Arugam Bay is also special geographically, as a bridge connects the bay to the mainland and immerses travelers in another world.

The surfer scene has been gathering in Arugam Bay since the 60s. The dreamlike bay has not stopped as a sleepy hippie village, but continues to attract an active, outgoing, young-at-heart and music-loving audience far away from package tourism. Many restaurants and guesthouses have reacted to this and equipped the place well with infrastructure.

Things to do in Arugam Bay

Especially in the European summer months it is quite crowded here, but there are many reasons to stay in Arugam Bay for a few days.

• Water sports enthusiasts, especially surfers, will find the best conditions here and the Whiskey Point in Pottuvil is one of the best surfing spots in the world
• Many guests come back again and again and love the relaxed flair of the unique bay.
• The full moon parties are also legendary
• With the TukTuk on safari towards Okanda 2 km south of Arugma Bay: Here lies the Kudumbigala Nature Reserve with a mixture of wildly overgrown rocky landscapes, hidden in the rock houses and leisurely elephants at waterholes and occasionally monkeys and buffaloes.

Travel and transport to Arugam Bay

There are daily buses between Arugam Bay and Colombo (10 hours) and Batticaloa (4.5 hours). However, most buses start and end in Pottuvil, 3 km away, which can be reached by (collective) taxi.

If you want to integrate Arugam Bay into a Sri Lanka round trip on the east coast, you can reach the beach along Trincomalee and Passikudah or from Polonnaruwa via Passikudah or via Ella in the highlands. It can also be combined with Yala National Park via Tissamaharama and Kataragama.

Best time to visit Arugam Bay

The best months to visit Arugam Bay are during the months of February to April and August to September. The temperatures on the southeast coast during this time are 25 to 33 degrees, the water temperatures are 28 to 31 degrees. The monsoon causes downpours around Arugam Bay between October and January, and from May to July it is very hot and humid.