Tourist information about Veligama

General information about Veligama

Weligama is a small town and resort village in southern Sri Lanka in Matara district on the shores of Sandy Bay in the Indian Ocean (Weligama on the map of Sri Lanka). Its name from Sinhalese translates as: "village in the sand" or "Sand Village" (weli + gama – village, sand). Arabs, Tamils, Malays, Germans live here. The town is small, the population is only 75,000 people. The distance to Colombo from Weligama is 144 km, to Galle – 33 kilometers. Weligama's closest competitors are Unawatuna resorts and Mirissa on the south coast.

This quiet village mainly lives by fishing and tourism. In 2004, Weligama was hit by a massive tsunami. Waves passed through the entire territory of the village, some houses and hotels were completely destroyed. At present, there are practically no traces of destruction.

Weligama is primarily a resort for surfers. Most of its coastline consists of wide golden sandy beaches without reefs and stones. But there are few tourists lazily sunbathing, since Veligama is poorly suited for a classic beach holiday. It's too shallow, the waves are strong, and the water is muddy. But stable waves and well-developed surf infrastructure. Many tourists ride for their own pleasure, not chasing sports glory. This is a great place for beginners, and perhaps the best surf spot in the south of the island. There are surf schools for beginners, including the Russian Surf School Surf Discovery keeps its camps here.

The main road along the coast and in the center of the village is bustling with life. Small boat stations are scattered along the coastal strip. With fishermen you can go night fishing.

One of the symbols of Weligama are fishermen fishing on wooden poles driven into the bottom a few meters from the shore. These fishermen are one of the symbols of the area and of Sri Lanka in general and tourists love to take pictures of them. It is for them that this attraction is designed, since fishermen really do not catch any fish. As soon as you point the lens of your camera in their direction, their assistants on the shore will immediately run up to you and start demanding money.

The tourist infrastructure here is generally poorly developed: tourist services can be obtained only in hotels or hostels. There are almost no shopping opportunities, you can only buy the most necessary things in a few shops or a Food city supermarket, in the markets. As usual in Sri Lanka, all shops, inexpensive cafes, shops, banks and exchanges are concentrated along the main road. Fishermen sell fish and seafood right on the shore. There are cafes and restaurants, but not many. Sometimes dance shows are arranged. Local hotels offer Ayurvedic treatments.

Veligama Beaches

As for Veligama beach, it is generally not bad. A wide sandy strip with a length of about 3 kilometers is hidden in the bay, while the view is not spoiled by dense buildings near the water, and in some parts it claims to be an ideal Palm Beach. At the same time, the beach is almost always sparsely populated, without any entertainment, except, perhaps, surfing. True, it is worth objectively saying that the conditions for swimming here are not the best: the beach is quite shallow, the sand is clay and slippery, not very clean. From the East, Weligama is adjacent to another popular resort – Mirissa, and it is much more suitable for swimming without a board.

Hotels In Veligama

Hotels in Weligama are scattered both in the coastal areas and in the depths of the village. Among them there are budget, medium-level and extra-class villas. Unfortunately, finding affordable housing on the beach here is not easy, the price of beach hotels starts from $ 40. Budget accommodation is easier to look for in the depths of the village. Many hotels are focused on surfers, they have rental boards, lessons for beginners are held.

Near the West Coast there is a small island of Taprobane, where in 1927 the French Count de Mauny-Talvande built a luxurious white villa with a red tiled roof. Here now five-star boutique hotel Taprobane Island, surrounded by tropical greenery.

You can find and book accommodation in Veligama on these sites or through the search form. All sites have a Russian interface and Russian-language customer support, a lot of reviews from real guests.

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Veligama on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Veligama on Trip.com (💥 our choice)
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Hotels and beaches of Veligama on the map

Veligama map with full screen hotels.

Weather in Veligama, tourist seasons

Veligama is a year-round resort. However, if you want to relax here in almost perfect weather conditions, it is best to avoid visiting the resort in low season.

High season lasts from November to June. And the best time is from January to April. There is almost no rain during this period, the sky is always clear.

Low season lasts from July to October. At this time there may be rains, the sky is often overcast. You can relax even at this time with comfort, but in general the probability of bad weather is much higher.

Tourist seasons in Weligam by month, when is the best time to go

Current weather in Veligama and forecast

How to get to Weligama

Weligama is 168 kilometers from Colombo airport, 144 kilometers from Colombo, and 33 kilometers from the major city Galle. Very often Galle acts as a transfer point to get to Weligama by bus or train from Colombo and the airport. From the cities of central mountainous Sri Lanka (Ella, Nuwara Eliya, Adam's peak, etc.) it makes sense to get here not through Colombo, but through Hambantota by bus.

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 45278 ₽	1 пересадка		18.06.2026	16.07.2026
Купить от 54858 ₽	1 пересадка		09.07.2026	16.07.2026
Купить от 54684 ₽	1 пересадка		09.08.2026	08.09.2026
Купить от 51095 ₽	2 пересадки		25.09.2026	08.10.2026
Купить от 52732 ₽	1 пересадка		07.10.2026	22.10.2026
Купить от 51416 ₽	2 пересадки		30.11.2026	21.12.2026

From the airport it is most convenient to get to Veligama by taxi, the trip will cost from $ 60, 3-4 hours on the way. It is almost an hour faster to go on the Southern Expressway Toll Road, but you will have to pay an additional about 900 rupees. You can also order a ready - made tourist transfer of superior comfort with a meeting at the airport with a sign. You can order at intui.travel or kiwitaxi.ru.

If you want to save money, you can get there by local buses or by train. In general, such a trip will take place as follows: transfer from the airport in Colombo to the bus station → transfer to the bus to Galle or Matara (get off at the bus stop in Weligama) or take the train to Matara (to the railway station in Weligama).

If you take a bus to Galle in Colombo,you will also have to take a bus to Matara. In general, the entire route will take 6-8 hours and at a cost of 200-300 rupees.

More information about how to get from the airport to Colombo bus and railway station is available here.... Upon arrival at the station, find a bus to Matara or to Galle. At the same time, the bus to Matara goes through Weligama, and the bus to Galle does not reach a little, and you have to change at the Galle bus station to another bus towards Matara/Weligama. All these moves are quite simple and safe, but it will be a problem to get there even with a lot of luggage. Read more about buses in Sri Lanka and how to use them here...

Another option is to travel by train. Similarly, by bus from the airport, you must first get to Colobo Fort Railway Station. From here to Weligama to Weligama Railway Station and Polwathumodara there are 5 trains daily, plus an additional two trains on weekdays. The cost of a ticket in the cheapest third class is 120 rupees. Alternatively, you can take the train to gale or Matara (where trains stop more often), and from there take the bus to Weligama. Train schedules can be found at https://eservices.railway.gov.lk. Also see instructions for travelling on Sri Lanka trains here...

Estimated fare:

• Galle – Weligama bus-Rs 50
• Matara – Weligama bus-Rs 40
• Colombo-Galle bus - 150 rupees
• Colombo-Weligama bus - 180 rupees
• Colombo-Weligama train - from 120 rupees

Well, another way to get here is by plane through Koggala airport. This airport is located in the south in the city of Koggala and there are flights by light aircraft and helicopters from Colombo airport by Cinnamon Air and Millennium Airlines (aka Simply), from Colombo-Ratmalana airport to FitsAir and again Millennium Airlines. The cost of a one-way flight - from $ 230.

Attractions in Weligama, what to see

There are few attractions here. 14 km from Veligama is a snake farm, home to about fifteen species of snakes, including huge pythons. In the immediate vicinity of Weligama Bay, you can see blue whales, for which whale boat tours are organized from neighboring Mirissa. Towards Unawatuna in the village of Habaraduwa is a turtle farm.

The architecture of the village is interesting and peculiar. Portuguese colonial mansions decorated with gingerbread carvings are adjacent to Buddhist dagobahs and Catholic churches. Tourists are captivated by the greatness of the statue of Leper King (VIII-IX centuries). The three-meter sculpture of the God of death is carved into a rock block, on the way from Galle to Veligama. Nearby is the entrance to the cave of Kustoraja, where according to legend lived a leper Sinhalese ruler, who managed to defeat a deadly disease, eating only coconut milk.

Blue Whale Watching Tour

The local waters are a haven for blue whales for the winter, and from here, from the pier between the beaches of Veligami and Mirissa, daily excursions leave to see blue whales and dolphins. This is a very exciting sight, and here on this tour rush from all the resorts of Sri Lanka.

To see whales, it is enough to buy a tour at the hotel or at the agency on the street from 10000 rupees. What is good, for children under 13 years of age payment is 50%, and for children under 6 years of age you do not need to pay anything at all. If you want to save money, you can walk yourself to the pier (it is located between Mirissa and Veligama) and buy a ticket there directly on the ship. The minimum known price of the tour when buying at the pier is 4000 rupees, but maybe you will find it cheaper.

Tours start early in the morning (from 7 o'clock) and last from 4 to 7 hours, depending on the availability of whales. Some operators offer a free second tour if you don't see any whales on the first day. And some even return the money in this case. Here are a couple of well-known operators: http://www.whale-watching-mirissa.com/, http://www.rajaandthewhales.com/

As for the season, the best season to see whales is from December to April. It is at this time that there are a lot of whales, and they can be seen from a really close distance. In the low season, tours also do not stop, but the chances of seeing whales at close range are very small.

And yet, keep in mind that swimming on a small boat for 7 hours is not a pleasant occupation. Stock up on motion sickness, and try not to climb on the upper deck if you are very susceptible to motion sickness. And yet, to shoot whales you need the latest long-focus lens.

See also the options available for booking online tours of Sri Lanka on one of the trusted sites:

• Sri Lanka tours by tripster.ru
• Sri Lanka tours by Sputnik8.com