The main Unwatuna bay offers a majestic beach with golden sandy shores and generally calm blue waters (with the exception of the monsoon season from end April – July), with restaurants and cafes lined up along the shores. Located 7 km or a 20 minute drive South from the historic city of Galle and the famed Gall Dutch Fort, this beach is a famous spot for not only swimming, but also for snorkeling and diving. On the occasional night, those who are lucky may be rewarded with the sight of a large sea turtle laying eggs. A portion of this beach is filled up with sun beds that are available for rent, and towards the western end of this beach, there is a stairway that leads to a Buddha statue of considerable size at the top. This heightens the astounding views and provides scenic views from the shores. Glass bottomed boat rides are available for those who wish to observe the beautiful corals and underwater species without diving or snorkeling. The corals and shipwrecks attract diving enthusiasts from all over. In order to reach these wreck sites, divers will have to take a boat ride of 20-30 minutes. The ‘Ragoon’ and the ‘Lord Nelson’ are some of the shipwrecks close at hand.
Further north from the main bay along the coastal road is the secluded Jungle Beach which can be accessed from a stairway that leads down from the Rumassala hill and its famed Japanese Peace Pagoda. Shrouded in tropical greenery, when completely isolated, the beach can make you feel like a drifter on a tropical island. This peaceful little strip is now growing in popularity but is still a little more quiet than the main beach.
South of the main bay about a 2 km walk along the coast is the now very famous Dalawella beach also known as the Wijaya beach which has been popularised on Instagram for its beach rope swing.
Another 2.5 km South from Dalawella beach commence the narrower but more private and quiet beaches of Talpe where a number of boutique hotels are located.
