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Originally posted on April 25, 2020 @ 3:42 pm
Sri Lanka is a hot spot among international tourists because of its beautiful golden sandy beaches. Because beaches make a perfect destination for a really good holiday. As Sri Lanka an island, it has vastly stretched beaches around the country and among them, Southern coastal line takes the utmost pride. Koggala beach which locates in the southern part of the country is an iconic place because it gives the real blend of village authenticity as well as salty beach life feeling. Koggala beach is highly known among tourists because it is really good for relaxing. And this area is truly tourists friendly. The warm welcome of local people, their nice hearts and great hospitable service will make everyone’s holiday much memorable. And need to mention when the tourism industry was arising in Sri Lanka mostly western and southern coastal line was involved for the development and improving destination image among international tourists. At that time Koggala beach and the surrounded area were highlighted and contributed significantly because of village life and natural beauty.
Where is Koggala Beach?
This magnificent Koggala beach is located in the southern coastal area of Sri Lanka. On this island, there are a couple of places where the beach is very wide and stretchy. Koggala beach takes a prominent place on that list. Koggala beach is 133kms away from Colombo city if you are traveling along the southern express highway. And the closest city to Koggala beach in Galle. Coconut fields, Mangroves, Koggala Lake and many wild birds and animals are adding more value to the Koggala area. This beach is a perfect spot for relaxation and if someone likes to get some fun, this is the place where not to get missed.
Koggala area was got much popular in Sri Lankan context because of a well-known author Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe and his Madol Doowa Novel which was written about the Koggala area, Madol Doowa Island which is in Koggala and living pattern of Koggala people. And still, there are a lot of people are coming to see Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe’s house which is being operated as a museum with all memories of his life events. And tourists and travelers never forget to visit Koggala beach on their trip to Koggala Museum.
Koggala is a much cooler area comparing to other coastal areas in the country because from one side it has sea breeze to cool down the atmosphere. And on the other hand, Koggala lake pushes away from its mild winds towards the landside. From both ways, it gets filled with good and clean air. And these two waterways gives the sources for soil moisture to grow these trees and especially mangroves nicely around the area. Madol Doowa’s novel describes how this area before was, there were gravel roads to travel between towns such as Galle to Matara. And along the village road, there were little shops and on the way that was a pleasant scenery to see the sea, waves come towards the beach and splash on the rocks.
What to do at Koggala Beach?
Nobody will think that it’s worthless to visit Koggala beach because once you are there you might get a bit different feeling than you are on a regular beach. To cater to all the tourists and travelers who are visiting Koggala, there are plenty of hotels that are opened. Not only the guesthouses but five-star luxury hotels also established along the seaside. The amazing thing is there are plenty of restaurants where you can taste delicious seafood dishes and Sri Lankan delicacies.
Enjoy Stick Fishing
Apart from Weligama and Mirissa areas, in Koggala you see really different ways of fishing. More likely it is a Sri Lankan truly authentic pattern of fishing. It is being done on the shallows of the sea. Fishermen sit on a pole that is tightened to a very strong tree trunk surrounded by sea. And this is not about massive fishing but fishermen catch small fish one by one with their fishing rods. That is really nice scenery to have look at dawn, in the afternoon and at dusk.
Stick Fishing
Surfing
If you are a sea lover and adventurous, Koggala beach is a great spot for surfing on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Even though Arugambay has got the most pride in surfing, still Koggala also gets the opportunity to do surfing. There are some surfing centers along the beach who are trained to give surfing lessons for beginners and others. Or else you can hire surfing equipment and swimwear at a reasonable price. If you are willing to do surfing at Koggala Beach the things needed to be concerned are the sea sends medium cross-onshore conditions and a short but powerful beach break, which is a great surfing location for advanced surfers. In when it has perfect wind pattern water gets strong undercurrents, so your surfing level needs to be a bit high to manage these currents. While you doing surfing it is really great to see lots of sea turtles and if you are lucky enough you might see a white tip reef shark too. The wave quality is normal but frequent, making it a perfect surfing spot for experienced surfers.
Play with Sea Turtles
Koggala beach is a well-known place for sea turtles. As we all know sea turtles are like a treasure of nature. And Sri Lankan government authorities and private organizations are doing a great job to preserve this nice species along with Sri Lankan beach areas. Koggala Sea Turtle conservation center is a good spot to go and have a look inside. Because it has different types of turtles in different sizes. Sea turtle farm and hatchery is a nonprofit organization who conserve sea turtles for future, On full moon poya days, mother turtles are coming to shore on the purpose of laying eggs. Tourists are really like to see this incredible scene.
Visit Martin Wickramasinghe Museum
Martin Wickramasinghe Museum reflects the life of the greatest writer in Sri Lankan history – Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe, who did an immense contribution to the literature of the country. And this is a really good place to observe and get to know how Sri Lankan livelihood was developed. Most of the agricultural equipment are placed all over the place as exhibits.
Koggala Lake
Within a few minutes’ walk from the Koggala beach, you can get to Koggala Lake which delivers you magnificent views. It is a great source for lots of mangrove species, wetland bird species and brackish water fish species. And boat services are available for boat tours along Koggala Lake. It is really nice to experience if you can go there early morning, then you can see more birds before the sun gets hotter.
Best time to visit Koggala Beach?
As Sri Lanka isn’t facing much seasonality here from November to March will be the best time to visit Koggala beach. Weather would be much constant throughout the time period. But from time to time there will be no rain or regular rain. And mostly that is the season for tourism in Sri Lanka too. All the hotels, restaurants are open. Everything is activated due to tourist arrivals at this time. Therefore nothing to worry to visit Koggala in between November to March. Or Else Sri Lanka always welcome you whenever you fly there.
Sunset at Koggala Beach
How to get Koggala Beach?
From Colombo city, it is better to get on to the southern express highway to reach Koggala and the distance will be 133 km. And for that trip, it will take nearly two hours. And if you are coming all the way from Bandaranayaka International Airport, it will be a three hours journey. From Galle, it will be 14 km on road. If you would like to travel to the public transportation system there are plenty of busses and trains. It will be much cost-effective, then hiring a private vehicle. But the main concern is if you travel by yourself on public transportation you have to get the responsibility of yourself and your belongings. To travel within the city it is cheaper to hire a tuk-tuk.
If you are willing to have a stay at Koggala it’s better to book a beachfront property or a place where it is in close proximity to the beach. Then it’ll make you ease to reach everywhere easily. Most of the guesthouses appear online and they are at reasonable rates. And if you are willing to blend more with Sri Lankan food culture you can just join with your house owner to cook and taste a meal. If not there are some restaurants where cooking classes are held. Probably it will be an awesome experience for you to taste some tropical spices,
Koggala is a piece of art of nature. Sea and lake give you a different feeling at this place. A quiet corner of this beautiful beach is really good for meditation or yoga in the evening, Or else watching the sunset while sipping up a long cocktail will be a perfect relaxation to you on your journey,
Trust me, Sri Lanka is a true paradise in The Indian Ocean. If you haven’t stepped on this beautiful island you must at least once in your lifetime.
