Luxury Weligama Holidays

Weligama translates as ‘sandy village’ and the name is well-deserved, for this popular holiday spot boasts a seemingly endless stretch of golden beach. Perched on the south-western tip of Sri Lanka, it is a favourite destination with novice surfers and there are plenty of surf schools where visitors can learn to catch their first wave.

Weligama’s warm waters are the home of both humpback and blue whales, and are also the workplace of Sri Lanka’s traditional stilt fishermen. These make a compelling sight as they fish whilst perched precariously on the crossbar of a pole which is thrust into the seabed. There are plenty of roadside stalls selling the day’s fresh catch.

One of the prettiest places on the bay is Taprobane, a tiny island which can be reached on foot at low tide. A French count lived there in the 1930s, entertaining royalty and aristocrats in his charming mansion.