Bentota

The west coast's resort heart where river meets sea.

What makes Bentota.

Bentota is the west coast's resort centre, built where the Bentota River meets the sea to create a calm, broad beach and a sheltered estuary perfect for watersports. It has long been the home of polished beach hotels, several of them designed by the celebrated architect Geoffrey Bawa, whose country estate at Lunuganga sits just upriver. The river offers jet-skiing, wakeboarding and gentler mangrove safaris on the Bentota Ganga, while turtle hatcheries line the coast road. With easy access to Galle and Colombo and the toll highway, it makes a comfortable, design-led beach break.

The west coast's resort heart where river meets sea.

November – April (south-west dry season)Best time
6Spots to see
~500KVisitors / year

What to see

Where to explore in Bentota.

The landmarks and corners worth carving out time for. Each one a reason this place earns its place on the route.

01
Bentota Beach
A broad golden beach where the river meets the sea, the heart of the resort strip.
02
Bentota River watersports
Jet-skiing, wakeboarding and banana boats where the river meets the sea.
03
Lunuganga Estate
Geoffrey Bawa's masterwork country garden, a landmark of tropical-modernist design.
04
Brief Garden
Bevis Bawa's lush, sculpture-filled artist's garden in the hills behind the coast.
05
Turtle hatchery
A conservation hatchery on the coast road releasing young turtles to the sea.
06
Bentota River mangrove safari
Boat trips up the river through mangrove tunnels, islands and cinnamon gardens.