Bike Rental Unawatuna

Unawatuna Beach

Sri Lanka’s most celebrated beach, Unawatuna Bay is a perfect horseshoe of golden sand sheltered from the open Indian Ocean by the Rumassala headland to the east and a rocky reef to the west. The result is calm, crystal-clear water ideal for swimming and snorkelling virtually year-round. The beach is lined with beach bars, restaurants, dive shops, and guesthouses for every budget. The eastern end of the bay near the Rumassala headland has the best snorkelling – colourful reef fish, sea turtles, and occasional octopus in the clear shallow water. Sunrise from the eastern end of Unawatuna Bay is one of the south coast’s most beautiful natural spectacles – ride your bicycle to the water’s edge before anyone else is awake.

Jungle Beach – Rumassala

Hidden behind the Rumassala headland just 2km east of Unawatuna, Jungle Beach is a tiny secluded cove accessible only by a 15-minute walk through protected jungle from the car park at Rumassala. The beach has crystal-clear water, excellent snorkelling, and a completely different atmosphere from the busy main beach – rarely more than a handful of people at any time. Ride east to Rumassala, park your bike at the car park at the trailhead, and walk down through the forest. The combination of the jungle trail, the hidden cove, and the extraordinary water clarity makes this one of the most rewarding short excursions from Unawatuna.

Rumassala Hill & Japanese Peace Pagoda

The Rumassala promontory east of Unawatuna is topped by a gleaming white Japanese-built Peace Pagoda offering panoramic views of Galle Fort, Unawatuna Bay, and the Indian Ocean stretching to the horizon. The hill above Rumassala is sacred in the Ramayana – Hindu tradition holds that Hanuman dropped a section of the Himalayan herb garden here when carrying medicine to cure Lakshmana’s wounds. The ride up the hill road to the pagoda is short but steep, rewarding you with one of the finest coastal viewpoints in Sri Lanka. Best in the early morning when the bay below is perfectly still.

Galle Fort – UNESCO World Heritage Site

Just 5km west of Unawatuna, Galle Fort is the finest example of a European fortified trading port in South and Southeast Asia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. The 90-acre fort enclosed by 3km of massive stone ramparts contains a perfectly preserved 17th-century Dutch colonial townscape – cobblestone streets, colonial mansions, mosques, churches, boutique hotels, galleries, and excellent restaurants. Ride west in the early morning when the light on the colonial buildings is golden and the streets are peaceful. Return in the evening for sunset from the Flag Rock bastion. Entry free, open 24 hours.

Galle Fort Ramparts

The 3km rampart circuit around the top of Galle Fort is one of the finest rides on the entire south coast – the Indian Ocean crashing on the rocks directly below on one side and the Dutch colonial townscape on the other. Ride or cycle the full rampart circuit in the late afternoon for a breathtaking experience culminating at Flag Rock bastion – the best sunset viewpoint on the entire south coast. The rampart road is one lane for vehicles, so ride slowly and respectfully giving way to pedestrians at every viewpoint. The bicycle is perfectly suited to the rampart circuit speed.

Dalawella Beach & Turtle Point

Just 2km east of Unawatuna, Dalawella is a quieter and less crowded beach with a famous rope swing over the water and excellent sea turtle snorkelling directly from the shore. Turtles are regularly seen in the shallow reef water near Dalawella at almost any time of year – one of the easiest and most accessible places in Sri Lanka to swim with wild sea turtles without taking a boat. Arrive in the early morning before the crowd builds for the best chance of an undisturbed turtle encounter. An easy and highly rewarding 5-minute ride from Unawatuna along the coastal road.

Koggala Lake & Stilt Fishermen

Ten kilometres east of Unawatuna, Koggala Lake is a vast and beautiful lagoon home to several small islands and the south coast’s iconic traditional stilt fishermen. The fishermen balance on single poles driven into the seabed and fish with traditional rods in a technique unique to Sri Lanka. Best photographed in the golden light of early morning (6:00–9:00 AM) and late afternoon (4:00–6:00 PM) when the light is perfect and the fishermen are most active. Koggala Lake also offers boat tours through the mangrove channels to Cinnamon Island where a family has cultivated cinnamon for generations.

Hikkaduwa Coral Reef & Marine Sanctuary

Sri Lanka’s famous protected coral reef and marine sanctuary is 15km west of Unawatuna along the A2 coastal highway – a beautiful 22-minute coastal ride. The Hikkaduwa reef hosts hundreds of tropical fish species, sea turtles, and occasional blacktip reef sharks that can be snorkelled directly from the beach without a boat. The 15-minute coastal ride west to Hikkaduwa passes through several beautiful fishing villages and small bays. Hikkaduwa’s lively beach strip, surf breaks, and dive shops offer a complete contrast to the more relaxed Unawatuna atmosphere – a perfect morning excursion.

Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum

One of Sri Lanka’s finest cultural museums, the Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum at Koggala celebrates the life and work of Sri Lanka’s greatest novelist – a son of the surrounding fishing community whose writing captured rural Sinhalese life in the early 20th century. The open-air museum contains traditional Sri Lankan village houses, fishing equipment, masks, traditional craft tools, and everyday objects from a vanishing way of rural coastal life. An excellent and moving cultural stop to combine with a Koggala Lake and stilt fisherman visit on the same 10km east ride from Unawatuna.

Weligama Bay & Surf Town

Famous for its perfect beginner surf waves and the iconic Taprobane Island – a privately owned island villa accessible by wading at low tide – Weligama is 25km east of Unawatuna along the beautiful coastal highway. The bay is excellent for learning to surf and the town has excellent local seafood warungs serving fresh fish curry at very reasonable prices. The ride from Unawatuna to Weligama follows the coast through Koggala and Ahangama with constant ocean views and opportunities to photograph stilt fishermen along the way – one of the finest south coast motorcycle journeys.

Mirissa Beach

Sri Lanka’s most beautiful beach destination by many accounts, Mirissa is a perfect horseshoe bay 35km east of Unawatuna with turquoise water, golden sand, and a legendary sunset. Famous for whale watching – blue whales are seen on boats departing at 6:00 AM between November and April – excellent surf, and the classic Parrot Rock viewpoint at the eastern end of the bay. The ride from Unawatuna to Mirissa is one of Sri Lanka’s finest coastal motorcycle routes – flat, beautiful, and following the Indian Ocean the entire way. A perfect full-day excursion from your Unawatuna base.

Ahangama & Midigama Surf

Two of the south coast’s best intermediate and advanced surf breaks, Ahangama and Midigama are 15km east of Unawatuna and home to a growing community of long-term surfers and surf schools. The reef breaks at Lazy Left (Midigama) and Coconuts (Ahangama) produce powerful, hollow waves that challenge and reward experienced surfers. The surrounding area is also one of the best spots to observe the traditional stilt fishermen in their most authentic and least-touristed setting – the fishermen here work for real, not for photographs. Best visited in the early morning when surfers are in the water and fishermen are at work.

Sinharaja Rainforest – UNESCO World Heritage

Sri Lanka’s last remaining lowland tropical rainforest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sinharaja is 45km north of Unawatuna via Baddegama and Neluwa. The inland ride from the coast transitions from coconut palm estates to rubber plantations to spice gardens to cloud forest in a single extraordinary journey that leaves the tourist circuit entirely behind. Guided rainforest walks reveal endemic birds seen nowhere else on earth, purple-faced langurs, and rare amphibians in the undergrowth. A complete change from the beach environment and one of the most rewarding full-day rides from Unawatuna.

Galle Dutch Reformed Church

One of the oldest Protestant churches in Sri Lanka, the Dutch Reformed Church inside Galle Fort was built in 1755 and is beautifully preserved with floor-to-ceiling tombstones from the Dutch colonial era carved in stone beneath your feet and around the walls. The whitewashed interior is a masterpiece of colonial elegance – completely unadorned except for the extraordinary memorial inscriptions that reveal the lives and deaths of the Dutch East India Company community that built this remarkable fort city. The church is still in active use today. An essential stop on any Galle Fort exploration and one of the most atmospheric historic buildings on the south coast.

Yaddehimulla Fishing Village

Between Unawatuna and Galle, the small fishing village of Yaddehimulla is home to one of the south coast’s most authentic working fishing communities. Brightly painted traditional outrigger catamarans (oruvas) are launched through the surf here every morning, and the village beach is a fascinating place to watch the day’s catch being prepared and sold in the early morning hours. A short detour off the main road reveals a Sri Lanka completely untouched by the tourist economy – daily fishing life continuing exactly as it has for generations, just 2km from one of Asia’s most celebrated beach destinations. Best visited between 5:30 and 8:00 AM when the boats return.

Easy

Unawatuna to Galle Fort & Hikkaduwa – 20km West

Ride west from Unawatuna through Yaddehimulla fishing village to Galle Fort – one of the finest 10-minute motorcycle commutes in the world. After exploring the fort, continue west along the A2 coastal highway through Dodanduwa to reach Hikkaduwa’s famous coral reef and surf beach. The full 20km west route from Unawatuna to Hikkaduwa is a beautiful coastal ride best done in the morning with the sun behind you. Return to Unawatuna for the afternoon swim.

Easy

Unawatuna to Mirissa via South Coast – 35km East

Head east from Unawatuna along the A2 coastal highway through Dalawella, Koggala, Ahangama, and Weligama to reach Mirissa Beach – one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful bays. The route passes the stilt fishermen at Ahangama and Koggala Lake before arriving at Weligama for a brief stop and then continuing 10km to Mirissa. Ride east in the morning, spend the day at Mirissa Beach and Parrot Rock, and ride back to Unawatuna for dinner – a perfect half-day ride from your south coast base.

Easy

Unawatuna to Tangalle via East Coast – 60km East

Continue east past Mirissa and Matara along the A2 highway to reach the beautiful and less crowded Tangalle coast. The route passes Polhena reef beach (excellent turtle snorkelling), Matara’s Dutch colonial star fort, and the dramatic rocky headlands of the deep south before reaching Tangalle. A perfect full-day ride from Unawatuna and back, or a one-way drop for riders continuing the south coast circuit towards Yala and Arugam Bay.

Moderate

Unawatuna to Sinharaja Rainforest – 45km North

Head north from Unawatuna through Baddegama and Neluwa on the inland road to reach Sinharaja UNESCO World Heritage Rainforest. The inland road climbs gradually from the coastal coconut grove landscape through rubber estates and spice farms to the rainforest buffer zone. A guided jungle walk is essential for birdwatching – Sinharaja’s endemic species are extraordinary. A complete change from the coastal environment and a genuinely unforgettable full-day adventure.

Easy

Unawatuna to Colombo via Coastal Road – 115km West

Head west from Unawatuna along the A2 coastal highway through Galle, Hikkaduwa, Bentota, Beruwala, and Kalutara to reach Colombo. The full coastal road from Unawatuna to Colombo is one of Sri Lanka’s greatest motorcycle journeys – flat, scenic, and passing an almost continuous string of fishing towns, beach resorts, and coconut palm coastline. An excellent finishing route for south coast riders returning to Colombo before departure, or a beautiful way to begin a south coast adventure from the capital.