Places to see near Dikwella, ten within an hour

Within about an hour of Dikwella you can see a blowhole, a giant seated Buddha, a rock temple with painted caves, a bird lagoon, a Dutch fort and the lighthouse at the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Most are half-day trips by tuk-tuk or car, so you can be back at the beach for lunch.

How to use this list

The sights fall into three directions: around Dikwella itself, east and inland towards Tangalle, and west towards Matara. Choose one direction for a day. Two sights and a long lunch make a good day. Four sights make a tiring one.

Distances and times are approximate. Entrance fees change and guides do not agree on them, so we give none. Carry small notes.

*This guide is written by Ohana. We are on the list, and we say where we think we fit.*

Around Dikwella

• 1. Hummanaya blowhole, Kudawella. About 5 km from Dikwella. The sea is pushed up through a crack in the rock and on a strong day shoots 25 to 30 metres into the air. It is tallest in the rough months, roughly May to September, and can be quiet when the sea is flat. See our Hummanaya blowhole guide.
• 2. Wewurukannala temple. About 1.5 km inland from town. A seated Buddha about 50 metres tall, walls painted like a comic strip with the life of the Buddha, and a hall of life-sized figures showing what waits for those who behave badly. Cover shoulders and knees. See our Wewurukannala temple guide.
• 3. Blue Beach Island, Nilwella. About 15 minutes by tuk-tuk. A small island joined to the shore by a sandbar that you walk across at low tide. Check the tide first, and go early or late, because the middle of the day is hot there.

East and inland, towards Tangalle

• 4. Mulkirigala rock temple. About 40 minutes inland. A Buddhist temple built up the side of a rock about 200 metres high, with cave shrines on several levels, reclining Buddhas and wall paintings from the time of the Kandyan kings. Its story goes back many centuries. There are around 500 steps, so go early, carry water and take your time. Dress as for any temple.
• 5. The beaches of Tangalle. About 30 to 45 minutes east. Goyambokka is a bay between rocks where the water is usually gentler than on Tangalle's long town beach. Silent Beach is a small cove under palms, as quiet as its name. Ask locally before you swim: on this coast the sea changes with the season.
• 6. Kalametiya lagoon. About an hour from Dikwella, beyond Tangalle. Two lagoons with mangroves and reeds, protected as a bird sanctuary, where local boatmen take visitors out by paddle boat. More than 150 kinds of bird have been recorded. Go at first light or late in the afternoon. See Kalametiya lagoon and its birdlife.
• 7. Rekawa, for turtles at night. Near Tangalle. A protected nesting beach where a conservation project takes visitors out after dark, from about 8 PM, to watch turtles come ashore. Red light only, and nothing is promised. Ask them directly whether the night watch is running.

West, towards Matara

• 8. Dondra Head lighthouse. About half an hour west. A tower 49 metres tall, finished in 1890, standing on the southernmost point of Sri Lanka. The gardens around it are generally open. Climbing the tower needs permission and is often not possible, so come for the point itself and the open sea to the south.
• 9. Matara, the Star Fort and Paravi Duwa. About half an hour west, 22 km from Dikwella. The Star Fort is a small Dutch fort in the shape of a six-pointed star, built between 1763 and 1765, with a moat and a gate that still carries its date. Paravi Duwa is a small temple on a rock island just off the seafront, reached by a footbridge. The bridge has been replaced more than once, so ask whether it is open. The two are close enough to see on one walk.

And the bay we come back to

• 10. Turtle Beach, Dikwella. A calm round bay with a reef on the horizon, less than five minutes by road from Hiriketiya. Wild sea turtles often feed on the reef. This is where we fit on the list: not a sight with a ticket, but the place to end the day. Ohana is on its sand, with sunbeds, hammocks, two swings under the palms and a kitchen that cooks the day's catch to order. Nobody can promise a turtle, but masks are lent free.

What fits into one day?

Three days that work without hurry:

• A short morning. The temple at eight, the blowhole after it, and back for lunch by midday. Good with children, and good in the hot months.
• A day to the east. Mulkirigala early, before the steps get hot. Then Goyambokka or Silent Beach for a swim, or Kalametiya for the late afternoon boat.
• A day to the west. Dondra lighthouse first, then Matara for the Star Fort and Paravi Duwa. Some people start this day before dawn with a whale watching boat from Mirissa, further west.

A tuk-tuk is right for anything around Dikwella. For Mulkirigala, Kalametiya or Matara, a car with a driver for the half day is more comfortable. Agree the price and the waiting time before you leave.

At every temple, cover shoulders and knees and take off shoes and hats. Do not pose for photographs in front of a Buddha statue.

More about the town, the beaches and how to get around is in our Dikwella and Hiriketiya travel guide.

Good to know

• Ohana is at Turtle Beach, Dikwella, less than five minutes by road from Hiriketiya.
• Breakfast is served from 08:00 to 11:00, lunch and dinner from 11:00 to 21:00, every day, so a late lunch after a morning out is easy.
• Sunbeds are free for the whole day, one for each person, when each person spends 10,000 LKR on food and drinks; otherwise they cost 1,000 LKR an hour each. A towel comes with every sunbed.
• Snorkel masks are lent free. Ask at the bar.
• Prices are in LKR, plus a 10% service charge.