Fishing boats, Arugam Bay

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Arugam Bay is on the list of the top ten surf points in the world. Situated on the SE coast of Sri Lanka, Arugam Bay receives the same Antarctic winter swells that hit Indonesia. The best surfing conditions are between May and November when the predominant wind is offshore for at least the first half of the day.

Boats on Arugam's Beach

Due to its location and southerly swell direction the area is dominated by right hand point breaks. Three of the point breaks Arugam Bay Point is a ten min. walk from town, Pottuvil Point and Crocodile Rock are within a half hour tuk tuk ride from Clindamycin cost rite aid Arugam Bay. There are several other surfing points that are within an hour tuk tuk ride, Panama and Okanda are south of Arugam Bay.

Nilanthasa?? Tuk tuk Service provides reliable transportation to and from any of the surfing destinations at a very reasonable rate. Nilantha also has …..…… knowledge about the many ancient Buddhist temple sites in Pottuvil and south and west of Arugam Bay, and can transport you to several excellent wildlife viewing locations and parks nearby. Call Nilantha in Sri Lanka at: (0)778-609-089, or internationally at: 94-778-609-089. Email Nilantha at abaynilantha@gmail.com

More on the historic sites nearby below.

The Point is the main break at Arugam Bay. The point is a long right-hand point/reef break that breaks at the headland in front of Arugam Bay. It is also the best swell magnet of all the points and you can almost always guarantee that the The Point will be a couple of feet bigger than any of the other breaks. It breaks from anything between 2 and 6 feet but tends to max out after 6 foot. Due to its location it is also attracts the biggest crowd but seems to be handle it as it often sections in a few spots. On a good day it provides a clean rideable wall that will barrel in the sections and give you a 400-meter ride right through to the inside. When you ride all the way through the best option is to paddle a few yards to the beach and walk back out to the entry point (booties are advisable as the reef starts from ankle depth). There is also watch tower used by some of the locals that provides a great vantage point to watch the action from.

Pottuvil Point is every surfers dream tropical wave. A long deserted sandy beach doted with some huge boulders at the waters edge, make this wave a favourite with some of the season veterans. Less crowded because of the hour tuk tuk ride north from Arugam Bay, Pottuvil point provides 800 meter rides from the outside section right through to the beach on the inside. The unique thing about this wave is that for most of it you can be working a four foot face and be only a few meters from the beach as the wave grinds down the sandy point. The outside section sucks up and throwa??s out as the swell raps into the point giving a 30 meter wall to work with before it fades as it hits deeper water for about 10 seconds. The wave then tends to double up as it hits a shallow sand bottom section that will have you hanging in there for all you worth just to try and make the next 40 to 80 meter section. Failure can leave you standing in knee deep water with a mouth full of sand if you manage not to get slammed into one of the bouldera??s first. If conditions are right and you can make it through this section then the wave peels perfectly meters from the beach for an eternity until it closes out in the bay and you begin the long walk back. Pottuvil Point needs a decent size swell before it starts working at all and a large swell before the middle section is makeable. If “The Point at Arugam is 6 foot Pottuvil will be 4-5. Beware there is little or no shelter or facilities at Pottuvil Point so bring plenty of drinking water.

Crocodile Rock is a half hour tuk tuk ride to the south of Arugam Bay with an additional twenty minute walk along another beautiful beach to reach Crocodile Rock. I dona??t know if the place is named after one of the rocks on the point or some of the large crocs that live in the lagoon 50 meters from the break but it is a beautiful spot for a day surf mission. This is the smallest of the three points, and you need a medium to large swell for Croc Rock to work at all. When the point is 6 foot then Croc Rock will be 3 foot. It is however a perfect wave for the beginner/intermediate or long board enthusiastic. A lame take-off section over sand leads on to a long wall that breaks right down the point for about 400 meters much like inside Pottuvil point. Again bring lots of water and make a cell call to your tuk-tuk driver Nilantha to pick you up after surfing and he will meet you with cold beer. Its a long walk back along the coast in the searing tropical sun.

Panama is12km south of Arugam Bay. Panama, the last inhabited village that precedes the Yala East National Park. Panama is somewhat inland yet intersects with lagoons and is rich in bird life. The wide beach that seams endless, the lagoon of Panama, the area surrounding it, sand dunes and rock boulders, all combine to make an enchanting landscape. While water buffaloes are seen wallowing in ponds, an odd elephant too could be seen in its savannah grassland. The pair of two huge rocky outcrops named Crocodile Rock and Elephant Rock at Panama, true to their names, are of resemblance to these creatures. Crocodile Rock, in addition to being a surfing spot, is also a favorite location of the wildlife lovers. So is the elephant rock. Eagles patrol overhead and the elephants roam freely.

Okanda is 20km south of Panama. Just outside the village of Okanda there is a popular surfing spot. The village is home to a famous Buddhist shrine located at the spot god Skanda is believed to have landed on the island. The shrine is the starting point of overland pilgrimage, the long walk to Kataragama for 15-day festival in July. Kataragama is the domain of god Skanda. Okanda is also the entrance point of the Yala East National park of which the mangroves and Kumana reservoir provide an enviornment for a large population of aquatic birds.

Yala East National Park. Although Yala East National Park is the twin of Yala West (Yala Ruhuna National Park), access from one to other is hindered by the River Kumbukkan Oya that flows separating these twin sanctuaries. Similar to popular Yala West in terrain, Yala East too is home to leopards and other large mammals. The sanctuary supports a sizable elephant population, though herds are smaller than Yala West.

Kumana Bird Sanctuary, fed by a channel from the River Kumbukkan Oya is the focal point of Yala East National park. About 20 km into the park is Kumana reservoir of which mangroves host a wide array of aquatic birds where many nest in May and June. Among the birds most seen are painted storks, herons, egrets, Indian darters and little cormorants. Black-necked stork, one of rarest birds of Sri Lanka could also been seen at the park.

Kudumbigala Sri Lanka. A few kilometers inland from Okanda lies the Kudumbigala forest hermitage. Hundreds of caves there had given shelter to the Buddhist monks as far back as the first century BC.

Lahugala National Park Sri Lanka. About 15km inland from Arugam Bay, the main road passes through the scenic Lahugla National Park. Extensive Lahugala reservoir being the center piece, Lahugala Park draws a population of about 150 elephants during July and August, when the surrounding water bodies dry up. In the lush vegetation and the grass which grows in abundance, the herds of elephants find their feed. The reservoir also brings about the spectacle of aquatic birds enjoying the company of elephants.

Magul Maha Vihara, Lahugla (Yala East) Sri Lanka. Just east of Lahugala lies a cluster of ruins of the ancient Buddhist temple called Magul Maha Vihara built by King Dhatusena (515-526 AD). With the ruins of dagoba, vatadage, image house and well-persevered doormats called moonstones the location within the jungle has become all the more evocative.