Exploration

Beruwela is about 10 minutes by tuk tuk from Bentota.It is a large commercial fishing harbour. The best time to visit is in the very early morning about 7.00a.m. At this hour the fresh fish are available directly off the night fishing boats. You can't get any fresher than that!

Brief Gardens is the house and garden of landscape architect Bevis Bawa, developed since 1929. It is a hillside garden with excellent views and many sculptures - both by Bevis himself and other artists. The estate was formerly a rubber plantation.

Mondays there is a fair in Aluthgama (Mathugama Road). Large vegetable market and lots of street vendors. Beware of "commission boys".

A few kilometres inland on the south bank of the Bentota Ganga is the Galapota Temple, which is said to date from the 12th century. To reach it, cross the bridge and take the side road to your left after 500m.

The first recorded Muslim settlement on the island took place at Beruwela in 1024. The Kechimalai Mosque, on a headland north of the hotel strip, is said to be built on the site of the landing and is the focus for a major Eid-ul-Fitr festival at the end of Ramadan. It’s part of a fascinating collection of mosques, churches and temples out by the fishing port and beach.

The estuary of the Madu Ganga river is a complex coastal ecosystem of mangroves and islands. A boat trip is a wonderful way of seeing some of the hundreds of species of plants and animals. There are around 64 islands in the river and lagoon. You can visit an island with a Buddhist monastery, where the friendly young monks will show you a 150-year-old book made of palm leaves.

Bentota River (the third largest river in Sri Lanka), there is ample opportunity to go on a river boat safari. On a few hours trip you can see the famous mangroves of Bentota followed by an excursion to the 800 year old Wanawasala Buddhist temple. A whole day river cruise could include a visit to a village hideaway for special home-cooked rice and curry lunch, and perhaps even include a local wedding ceremony performance. Crocodiles are rare now but there are plenty of water monitors and river birds to be seen.

The sea turtles project is one of the turtle hatcheries located along the southern coast, this hatchery is located 3 Km south of the Bentota bridge. These turtle hatcheries were constructed to rescue and protect turtle eggs because of the rapidly declining numbers of marine turtle in Sri Lankan shores.

This lone structure which has stood the test of time upon the shores of Beruwela, has come to be known as a signature monument of the little coastal village. Still in operation, this lighthouse is located on the beauteous little Barberyn Island enveloped in lush greenery. The island is accessible via a 10 minute’s boat ride.