Koggala Beach

Koggala Beach runs along the south coast of Sri Lanka near the small town of Koggala in Galle District, about 16 kilometres east of Galle. The beach lies between the main coast road and the sea, with Koggala Lake, a large lagoon, just inland.

During the Second World War, Koggala was the site of a Royal Air Force base for flying boats, which used the lagoon as a runway. The town is also the birthplace of the Sinhala writer Martin Wickramasinghe, whose home is now a folk museum.

The beach is long and wide, with golden sand and palm trees, and is usually less crowded than Unawatuna to the west. A reef lies offshore along parts of the shore, creating calmer pools in places, but elsewhere the waves can be strong. The coast here is known for stilt fishermen, who sit on wooden poles set in the shallow water. Several sea turtle hatcheries along the road collect eggs and release young turtles. On Koggala Lake, boat trips visit small islands, including a Buddhist temple island and a cinnamon island where visitors see the bark being peeled.

Hotels, guesthouses and resorts line the coast, and the beach is a good base for visiting Galle Fort.

The beach is free. The best season is from November to April, when the south-west monsoon has passed. Swim only where locals say it is safe.

What else is there to do at Koggala? Koggala Lake is the main draw after the beach. The lagoon is dotted with mangroves and small islands, and boat trips leave from jetties along the coast road. One island has a Buddhist temple that draws many worshippers on poya, the full-moon holidays. Madol Doova, a small island in the lake, gave its name to Martin Wickramasinghe's best-known novel, a children's adventure story set on the island. Morning boat trips are cooler, as the open water gets very hot at midday.

The Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum stands in the grounds of the writer's birthplace. It displays traditional household objects, masks, puppets, farming tools and a gallery of old forms of transport, along with his house and grave. Local listings give its hours as about 9 am to 5 pm daily, with a small entry fee.

Getting there. Koggala has a station on the coastal railway line from Colombo to Matara, and buses on the Galle to Matara road stop along the beach. Tuk-tuks run to Galle Fort in about 30 minutes and to Ahangama and Weligama, known for surfing, in 15 to 25 minutes. The stilt fishermen work mainly near Koggala and Ahangama in the early morning and late afternoon, and many now pose for photographs for a fee.