Arugam Bay

The east coast's answer to everywhere else.

Arugam Bay is on the east coast, separated from the south by the Yala jungle corridor. The journey from Yala to Arugam Bay takes three hours through dry zone scrub and feels like arriving in a different country. The east coast has a different light, a different wind, a different culture.

Experiences at this stop

• The Point --- world-class right-hand reef break

The Arugam Bay Point break works best between May and September when the south-west swell arrives. An experienced surfer's first morning should be spent watching from the headland before paddling out.

Arugam Bay reef snorkel

The east coast reef at Arugam Bay --- accessible by short boat from the beach --- rounds out the diving geography of the journey

• Pottuvil Lagoon --- kayak or boat

The lagoon supports wild elephants, estuarine crocodiles, and an extraordinary waterbird population. A dawn kayak through the lagoon channels is one of the finest wildlife experiences on the east coast.

• Local food --- kottu, hoppers, fresh seafood

The cuisine of Arugam Bay reflects its east coast Tamil and Muslim heritage. Your guide will know which roadside stall is the correct one.

• Muhudu Maha Viharaya --- ancient cliff temple

A 2,000-year-old Buddhist temple on a small promontory south of the bay, overlooking the ocean. Seldom visited by tourists. Entirely genuine.

white-eye.