Arugam Bay complete guide - surf, food, getting there, and what to do if you don't surf?
I'm planning to spend a week in Arugam Bay in July. I'm not a surfer but my travel partner is. I want to understand both sides of what it offers.
1. What surf breaks are at Arugam Bay and what level are they suitable for?
2. Is Arugam Bay worth visiting if you don't surf at all - what do non-surfers actually do?
3. What is the food scene like - are there good restaurants or is it all beach shacks?
4. How do you get to Arugam Bay from Colombo, Ella, or Kandy?
5. What is the town actually like - small village or has it grown into something bigger?
6. What is accommodation like and what should I budget?
7. Are there worthwhile day trips from Arugam Bay - nearby beaches, lagoons, wildlife?
8. What time of year is the surf season and what's the town like in the off-season?
9. Is Arugam Bay getting overcrowded or does it still have a low-key vibe?
I'm from Mexico and my partner has surfed Bali and G-Land. I want to know if this is genuinely world class or regional good.
2 Answers
I teach surf and I've lived in A-Bay for 8 years. Let me answer both sides of this properly.
The surf: A-Bay's main break (The Point) is a long right-hand point break that can produce rides of 200-300 metres in good conditions. For your experienced partner, this is a serious surf destination. Consistent offshore winds May through October, swells from the Indian Ocean that arrive clean and organised. Other nearby breaks: Crocodile Rock (heavier, barrelling, experienced surfers), Baby Point (smaller, slower, perfect for beginners and intermediates), Whiskey Point (20 minutes north, less crowded, consistent).
For the non-surfer: A-Bay is genuinely pleasant even if you don't surf. The town is small, flat, and easy to navigate by bicycle. Things to do:
- Hire a scooter and explore the lagoon road and surrounding villages
- Elephant Rock and the surrounding bays to the south - 20 minutes by tuk-tuk, very beautiful
- Kumana National Park is about 45 minutes south and has birds and elephants
- Pottuvil lagoon safari (crocodiles, water birds, peace)
- Drink cheap cold Lion beer at a shack on the beach watching your partner surf
- The food scene has improved dramatically - decent restaurants now beyond the old beach shack standard
Food: Hideaway, El Punto, and Mambo's are worth finding. Fresh tuna and barracuda caught by local fishermen, eaten the same day.
Getting there: from Colombo it's about 7-8 hours by bus or 4-5 hours by private car. From Ella it's about 3 hours. Most people take the overnight bus from Colombo (departs evening, arrives morning) to save a night's accommodation.
Accommodation: still mostly budget guesthouses and surf camps, LKR 2,500-5,000 per night for a decent room. Book ahead for May-September as it fills up fast.
Overcrowded: busier than it was 5 years ago but still genuinely low-key compared to Bali. Nothing like Canggu.
Non-surfer who spent a week in A-Bay while my partner surfed. Honestly some of my favourite days of the whole Sri Lanka trip. I rented a bicycle for LKR 300 a day and explored the coast south towards Elephant Rock every morning. Ate grilled tuna at a shack for LKR 600 every evening. Did the Pottuvil lagoon safari one afternoon (saw crocodiles, herons, and what I'm told was a rare spoonbill). Read books in a hammock. I was never bored. The pace of the place is just right for doing nothing without feeling guilty about it.
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