Matara the deep south town worth a stop the Star Fort the island temple and as a base for the quiet south
I seek the towns off the tourist trail and Matara in the deep south seems a real working town that travellers blow through on the way to the beaches Is it worth a stop what is there I read about a Dutch Star Fort and an island temple connected by a bridge (Paravi Duwa) and the Dondra lighthouse nearby is it a good base for the quieter deep south beaches away from busy Mirissa and Unawatuna and what is the town itself like People who stopped in Matara please tell me
6 Answers from travellers
Matara is my home town so let me tell you Worth a stop YES if you like a real working Sri Lankan town over a tourist resort Matara is the bustling hub of the deep south most travellers blow through to the beaches but the town has genuine character history and an authentic southern feel and it makes a great base for the quieter deep south What is there the STAR FORT a small but charming and well preserved Dutch fort (a distinctive star shaped little fortress in the town) quick to see and atmospheric the main DUTCH FORT ramparts by the sea PARAVI DUWA the lovely island temple a small Buddhist temple on a rocky islet just offshore reached by a footbridge serene and photogenic especially at sunset the DONDRA HEAD lighthouse nearby (the southernmost point of the island and the tallest lighthouse the Dondra threads) the town itself a real southern market town the bustle the food the everyday life A base for the quiet south PERFECT this is the real reason for travellers Matara sits east of the busy Mirissa Weligama Unawatuna strip and gives you access to the QUIETER deep south the calmer beaches further east (toward Tangalle and the coves beyond) the area is less touristy more authentic and cheaper than the honeypot beach towns base here or just east and you escape the crowds The town vibe authentic busy southern not pretty in a Galle Fort way but real good local food (the southern rice and curry and seafood) and a genuine slice of Sri Lankan town life June note the south coast is in its WET monsoon season now (the monsoon threads) so expect rain and rougher seas on this coast the town sights are fine in the rain but for beach time the east coast is the dry season bet right now so the answer yes stop in Matara for the Star Fort the island temple Paravi Duwa the Dondra lighthouse and the authentic southern town and use it as a base for the quieter deep south away from the busy beach towns a real working town that rewards the off trail traveller
Matara as a base let me reach the quieter coves toward the deep south east while still having a real town with shops and transport on the doorstep it is more practical and authentic than basing in a pretty but pricey beach village
Worth noting the southern rice and curry and the seafood in a real town like Matara is cheaper and often better than the tourist restaurant versions on the beach strip eat where the locals eat here for the best southern food
The Star Fort Paravi Duwa island temple the Dondra lighthouse and a base for the quieter deep south away from the busy beach towns this is exactly the off trail town I seek the real working southern town over a resort sounds perfect thank you
Time Paravi Duwa for late afternoon the little island temple at sunset with the lamps and the sea is the loveliest moment in Matara and far from any tourist crowd a quiet magical end to the day
The Star Fort is small but genuinely charming and quick the unusual star shape and the little museum inside make a nice half hour and there is almost no one there compared to the Galle Fort crowds a quiet gem
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