Weligama

Weligama — literally 'sandy village' — wraps around a broad, shallow bay whose forgiving sandy-bottomed beach breaks make it the best place on the island for beginner surfers. Surf schools line the sand, and on most mornings the water is dotted with first-timers catching their first wave under instruction. The bay is also home to the famous stilt fishermen, who perch on poles set in the shallows, and to the picturesque private islet of Taprobane just offshore. Laid-back and friendly, it sits between Galle and Mirissa and is close to the much-photographed temple of Weherahena and the carved Kushtarajagala statue.