MATARA & TANGALLE
Matara is at the mouth of the Nilwala River on further south from Galle. Its name is descriptive of its location –the great ford. Matara is a busy, booming and sprawling commercial town that owes almost nothing to tourism – which can make it a fascinating window on modern Sri Lankan life. Matara’s main attractions are its ramparts, Dutch architecture, a well-preserved fort and its street life.
Polhena which is 3kms away offers unspoilt beaches. The coral reef provides good snorkeling and swimming. The winds and the waves that offer good surfing prospects makes it a Sri Lanka Tourist attraction. A further 48 kms to the south is Tangalle, with one of the largest natural bays in the island, protected by a reef. You will find some superb beaches hidden in small coves and bays.
Tangalla is the gateway to the wide-open spaces and wide-open beaches of southeast Sri Lanka. It's the last town of any size before Hambantota and has some old-world charm. But you're really here to find your perfect beach, and there are several nearby.
Matara & Tangalle Information and Google Map
PROVINCE : SOUTHERN PROVINCE
DISTRICT : HAMBANTOTA DISTRICT
POPULAR : BEACH,RELAX,
WEATHER : 31 °C
PHOTO GALLERY
Historical Background
Both under Portuguese and Dutch occupation it was an important commercial center.With sandy beaches, fragrant spice plantations and green paddy fields Matara is a bustling town sandwiched between sandy beaches and the pastoral country side. It has a well preserved Dutch fort facing the Indian Ocean, built by the Dutch in 1640. It is a fortification of a Portuguese garrison. The fort has many structures of the Dutch and British periods. The oldest of the colonial past that still invites attention is the Dutch church. The 40M high light house built in 1890 to provide guidance to the ships plying the busy sea lane in an age before Radar is 6 kms away. Nearby is the historic shrine dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu worshipped by Buddhists as the God entrusted with the mission of protecting Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Shopping
Wayside stalls and village fairs offer a range of home grown vegetables, fruit and freshly-caught seafood. The towns of Matara and Tangalle are relatively well-developed coastal towns. Banks and ATM machines, shops and grocery stores are all available.
Events
The south coast's peak holiday season runs from late November to April. During this period the weather is generally at its best and this means blue seas. This is also the best season for diving and snorkelling. December and April are also the best months for seeing whales and dolphins (see activity section below).
Climate
Traditionally, the best time to visit the south coast is from December to April, with similar weather patterns to the Galle Coast. Between May and September, however, travel east beyond Galle along the south coast and you can be rewarded with more settled weather than further west. Sri Lanka is affected by two monsoons which generally means that there is good weather somewhere. October to mid-December can see heavy rain brought in by the north-east monsoon, with the south-west monsoon bringing heaviest downpours from mid-April to mid-June. There is also an unsettled inter-monsoonal period in October.
Sights
No beach is more magnificent than Mirissa, which is popular for surfing, snorkelling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, sailing and sea-kayaking. During the migration season in December and April, large pods of Dolphins and Blue Whales can be seen just a few miles offshore from Mirissa. Mirissa Water Sports, based in the Mirissa Harbour offers boat excursions which can take up to three hours.
At Ahangama, Midigama and Weligama, surfers prowl the shores in search of some of the best waves in Sri Lanka. Dondra Head, with its octagonal lighthouse, marks Sri Lanka's most southerly tip. Close-by, lie the beaches of Polhena and especially Talalla, a gorgeous beach that remains relatively unknown. Dickwella is known for its beaches and scuba diving. Dickwella’s Beeralu Lace Craft Village shows off hand woven Beeralu lace (pillow lace) which is a recognised national craft and a vital source of income for rural women of the south coast. Tangalle offers a glorious, uninterrupted stretch of beach. Seek-out the small and often deserted cove of Seenimodera (Sugar Bay).
The southern coast also serves as an ideal base to explore the south’s wildlife parks including Yala and Uda Walawe National Parks and Bundala.