Bike Rental Bentota

Bentota Beach

Bentota’s magnificent golden beach stretches 5km along the Indian Ocean and is widely considered the finest beach on Sri Lanka’s west coast. The northern end near the river mouth is the calmest and most beautiful section – ideal for swimming in the gentle surf. The southern beach strip has a lively collection of beach restaurants and water sports operators offering jet skiing, water skiing, windsurfing, and banana boat rides. Ride the full length of the beach road for the complete Bentota coastal experience – the bicycle is the ideal vehicle, allowing you to stop wherever the scene catches you.

Bentota River & Estuary

The Bentota River meets the Indian Ocean at a dramatic river mouth where the estuary creates a beautiful lagoon and mangrove channel system. Ride along the river bank road north from the beach for views of traditional fishing boats, kingfishers hunting from overhanging branches, and the mangrove channels that shelter the river’s abundant wildlife including monitor lizards and water birds. The boat jetties along the river bank offer informal canoe and kayak hire for independent exploration of the quieter channels that organised tours never reach.

Brief Garden – Bevis Bawa Estate

One of the finest private gardens in Asia and the inspiration for the career of Sri Lanka’s greatest architect Geoffrey Bawa, the Brief Garden estate was created by Bevis Bawa over 40 years from 1929. The 2-hectare garden contains extraordinary sculptures, water features, specimen trees, and garden rooms of surpassing beauty set in a coconut grove landscape 10km inland from Bentota. The estate house contains Bawa’s personal art collection and the guest cottage where Arthur C. Clarke wrote parts of his novels during long Sri Lankan sojourns. Brief Garden opens daily from 8:00 AM – call ahead to confirm and reserve your visit as capacity is limited.

Lunuganga – Geoffrey Bawa’s Garden Estate

The most important designed landscape in Sri Lanka and one of the great garden estates of 20th-century Asia, Lunuganga was the lifelong personal project of Geoffrey Bawa – Sri Lanka’s greatest architect and one of the most influential architects in Asian architectural history. The estate sits on a peninsula extending into the Dedduwa Lake 15km from Bentota, containing garden rooms, terraces, meadows, and architectural interventions of extraordinary subtlety. Now managed by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust and open for guided visits. Book in advance – visitor capacity is strictly limited and advance reservation is essential.

Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery

One of Sri Lanka’s most important sea turtle conservation sites, the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery is a protected beach where leatherback, green, hawksbill, olive ridley, and loggerhead turtles come to nest. The hatchery collects eggs, incubates them safely, and releases hatchlings at night. Visitors can watch turtle nesting activity at night (November to April peak season) and assist with hatchling releases. The coastal ride north from Bentota to Kosgoda is flat, scenic, and passes through typical west coast fishing villages.

Aluthgama Fish Market & Town

The busy fishing town of Aluthgama sits at the northern mouth of the Bentota River and hosts one of the west coast’s most vibrant and authentic fish markets. Arrive between 6:00–8:00 AM when the fishing boats return with the night’s catch and the auction is in full swing. The surrounding Aluthgama town is a genuine Sri Lankan commercial centre completely untouched by resort tourism – excellent for local food, fresh produce, and an authentic experience of everyday west coast life. The Aluthgama fish market at dawn is one of the most vivid experiences on the entire west coast – do not miss it.

Hikkaduwa Coral Reef – 25km South

Sri Lanka’s famous protected coral reef and marine sanctuary is 25km south of Bentota along the A2 coastal highway. The Hikkaduwa reef hosts hundreds of tropical fish species, sea turtles, and reef sharks that can be snorkelled directly from the beach. The 35-minute coastal ride south from Bentota to Hikkaduwa passes through Ambalangoda’s mask-making workshops and several beautiful fishing villages. Hikkaduwa’s surf breaks, dive shops, and lively beach strip offer a complete contrast to the more refined Bentota resort atmosphere.

Ambalangoda Mask Museum – 15km South

The home of Sri Lanka’s famous traditional devil-dancing mask-making industry, Ambalangoda is 15km south of Bentota and home to the extraordinary Ariyapala Mask Museum. Watch master craftsmen carving and painting traditional masks using techniques passed down for generations – the colourful devil masks, demon masks, and ceremonial masks are among the most distinctive handicrafts in Sri Lanka. The ride south from Bentota to Ambalangoda is a lovely coastal run through fishing communities and coconut palm groves.

Beruwala & Kalutara – North

The coastal towns north of Bentota offer fascinating cultural diversity. Beruwala (8km north) has Sri Lanka’s oldest mosque – the Kechimalai Mosque sits on a headland above the sea and the surrounding beach is lined with traditional fishing boats from the significant Muslim fishing community. Kalutara (25km north) is famous for the Kalutara Bodiya – a uniquely hollow Buddhist dagoba built over the road bridge that all vehicles pass under. Both towns have excellent fresh seafood restaurants along the beach road.

Dedduwa Lake – Balapitiya

The beautiful Dedduwa Lake north of Bentota is the setting for Lunuganga estate and one of the west coast’s most serene natural environments. The lake is ringed by coconut palms and mangrove forest, home to monitor lizards, water birds, and the freshwater crocodiles that inhabit the quieter channels. Rent a kayak or canoe from the lake shore for independent exploration of the mangrove waterways. The road around the lake is a perfect quiet cycling route through genuine rural Sri Lankan coconut estate country.

Galle Fort – 55km South

The finest colonial heritage site in Sri Lanka and a UNESCO World Heritage destination, Galle Fort is 55km south of Bentota along the A2 coastal highway – a beautiful 60-minute coastal ride. The perfectly preserved 17th-century Dutch fort with its 3km of ancient ramparts, cobblestone streets, colonial mansions, and boutique hotels and restaurants is one of the most extraordinary places in Sri Lanka. Ride south in the morning, spend 2–3 hours exploring the fort on foot, have lunch inside the fort walls, and ride back to Bentota in the afternoon.

Valapane Spice Garden – Inland

Head 20km inland from Bentota through the rubber estate landscape of Dharga Town and Valapane to discover a network of traditional spice gardens producing cinnamon, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and vanilla in the fertile inland lowlands. Spice garden visits are informal and welcoming – ride into the plantation areas and ask at any farm gate. The inland road from Bentota rises gently through increasingly beautiful rubber and spice estate country that most coastal visitors never discover.

Balapitiya Church & Village – 15km North

The large Catholic church at Balapitiya overlooks a beautiful river estuary scene where fishing boats, river ferries, and traditional wooden crafts ply the water below the church steps. The surrounding Balapitiya village is an atmospheric mix of Catholic and Buddhist Sri Lankan culture with magnificent old villas, river-side fish stalls, and a genuine community character. The riverside road north from Bentota to Balapitiya is one of the west coast’s most beautiful and least-ridden motorcycle routes – completely off the tourist trail.

Induruwa Beach – 5km North

A quiet and relatively undeveloped beach 5km north of Bentota, Induruwa is where local Sri Lankan families come to swim and relax away from the resort crowds. The beach is long, the water is calm, and the roadside coconut vendors provide perfect hydration for the cycle back to Bentota. A perfect short morning bike ride from your Bentota hotel before the day heats up – the kind of authentic local beach experience that cannot be organised as a tour but is effortlessly accessible on a rental bicycle in 12 minutes.

Colombo via Coastal Road – 65km North

Ride north from Bentota along the A2 coastal highway through Kalutara, Panadura, and Moratuwa to reach Colombo. The coastal road north of Bentota is one of the most interesting sections of the west coast route – passing through the gem-trading town of Beruwala, the busy commercial strip of Kalutara with its famous hollow bridge dagoba, the riverside town of Panadura, and the increasingly urban approach to Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. An excellent full-day excursion from Bentota combining coast, city, and culture.

Easy

Bentota to Galle via Coastal Road – 55km South

Ride south from Bentota along the A2 coastal highway through Ambalangoda, Hikkaduwa, Dodanduwa, Koggala, and Unawatuna to reach magnificent Galle Fort. Every kilometre of this south coast route reveals a new beach, a new fishing village, and a new reason to stop. The stilt fishermen near Ahangama, the coral reef at Hikkaduwa, and the beautiful Koggala Lake are all natural stopping points on the way. The full Bentota to Galle coastal ride is one of the finest motorcycle routes in Sri Lanka.

Easy

Bentota to Hikkaduwa – 25km South

Head south along the A2 for 25km to reach Hikkaduwa – Sri Lanka’s famous coral reef and surf destination. The coastal ride south from Bentota passes through Ambalangoda’s mask-making community and several atmospheric fishing villages. Hikkaduwa’s snorkelling, surfing, and lively beach strip are a perfect contrast to the more refined Bentota resort scene. Spend the morning at the reef and ride back to Bentota for lunch – the ideal half-day coastal excursion from your Bentota hotel.

Easy

Bentota to Colombo via Coastal Road – 65km North

Head north from Bentota through Beruwala, Kalutara, and along the coast to Colombo. The northern coastal route passes the gem-trading community of Beruwala, the famous hollow bridge dagoba at Kalutara, and the coastal suburbs of Colombo. An excellent full-day excursion for riders wanting to experience the full west coast between Bentota and the capital – explore the Colombo waterfront and the Pettah bazaar before riding the coastal road home at sunset.

Easy

Bentota to Brief Garden & Lunuganga Inland Circuit – 35km

Head inland from Bentota through Dharga Town to the Brief Garden estate (10km), then north to Lunuganga on Dedduwa Lake (15km from Bentota), before returning to the coast through Balapitiya. This inland circuit through the rubber and spice estate country discovers the extraordinary artistic and architectural heritage of Sri Lanka’s most creative landscape – the world of Bevis Bawa and Geoffrey Bawa that defined a uniquely Sri Lankan design aesthetic. Book both estates in advance – visitor capacity is limited.

Moderate

Bentota to Kandy via Kegalle – 175km Inland

Head inland from Bentota through the Kalu Ganga river valley and up into the central highlands via Kegalle and the scenic A7 highway to reach Kandy. This inland route through the rubber estate heartland and into the tea country highlands is one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful and least-travelled motorcycle roads. Stop at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (40km inland) on the climb to Kandy – a natural and memorable midpoint on a journey from the coast to the hill country.