Arugam Bay provides golden sand, the best surfing in Sri Lanka, beautiful sunsets, beach-side accommodation, wild elephants roaming around, all round good vibes and most significantly, a desire to stay longer than intended. It is such a dreamy little spot and you can easily find yourself caught up in the laid-back lifestyle on offer.
The east coast beaches, such as Arugam Bay, are typically less popular than those of the south. Certainly not for a lack of natural beauty though! The main reason for this is that they are simply more off the beaten track, aka more isolated from the main ‘hot’ spots around the country. Doesn’t that make it more tempting to visit though? So, if time permits, definitely add in a stop at Arugam Bay, or even better, MAKE your time permit it!
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Arugam Bay is the perfect spot to simultaneously be active and simply chill out. Or even if you’re just needing to recharge your travel life batteries from the many hours on trains and buses that comes with travelling around, this is the BEST place to do so.
eSIM: Stay connected in Arugam Bay and the whole of Sri Lanka with an eSIM. Both Yesim and Drimsim have worldwide options to choose from which will suit your needs. This way you are ready to go as soon as you arrive in the country.
Accommodation: Booking.com and Agoda – many accommodation options to suit every budget. I tend to use Booking.com a lot as find the Genius Discount it provides (the more you book through Booking, the better the discount you can receive) really does bring the prices down.
How to get to Arugam Bay?
Flights: Check for the cheapest, most extensive flight options on Skyscanner, or for flights (with cashback) to Sri Lanka on WayAway.
Due to its location on the east coast, there are three best options of putting Arugam Bay on your itinerary (before/after as it depends which way you are travelling around the country):
- Before/after Ella
- Before/after Yulara National Park
- Before/after the beaches of the south, such as Mirissa.
There is no train station in Arugam Bay, so unless you are travelling around with a private hire, bus is the go to. Even then, the bus doesn’t take you all the way, but rather to nearby Pottuvil from where Arugam Bay is a 5km tuktuk tide.
If you are interested in a more comfortable ride and are coming from Ella, you can check out and book Ella to Arugam Bay Drop (Private Transfer). There is even the option to stop off at other points along the way with this transfer, allowing you to have a tour with a guide while you travel between locations.
However for those budget travellers like myself, the very cheap, hot and not so comfortable public bus is where you’ll find yourself. My trip went Ella – Arugam Bay – Mirissa (we skipped out Yulara National Park). It took two busses to get from Ella to Pottuvil, then as noted we were required to take a tuktuk into Arugam Bay itself. So, it is a bit of a trek (wherever you are coming from!), but you soon forget about the long, crammed, sweaty journey thanks to the gem of the destination that makes it worth it.
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Where to stay?
There is no shortage of accommodation choices in Arugam Bay, covering every budget.I recommend to search on sites such as Booking.com and Agoda, for the widest range of accommodation options.
Some of the most budget, best rated, best located (less than 150m from the beach) accommodation options in Arugam Bay include:
- Crystal Bay
- Nice Place Beach Hotel
- Sanity Door Rooms and Hostel
- Crescent Bay Beach Hotel
- Little Lagoon Hostel
- Sandy Beach Hotel
If you want something a little more upmarket, but in equally as good a location, you might want to consider a stay at:
Being on a ‘backpacker’ trip, good prices and good vibes were our accommodation goals, and we successfully found this at Beach Hut, Arugam Bay.
The little beach cabanas where you sleep are nice. I mean, they aren’t particularly spectacular, this is a budget accommodation after all, but we got a little cabana to sleep three of us. There were two floors (okay more like two rooms on top of the other (plus bathroom)) – a double bed upstairs and and single bed below with the bathroom adjoint.
The location is 10/10 (this is probably true for all accommodation here though – beach-side vibes!). Beach Hut is right at the beach, well okay it is about a 200m walk down a lane until you feel the sand amongst your toes. I got so used to not even wearing clothes – swimwear and a towel and you are good to go! What a dream.
There is a sneaky little spot ON the beach that belongs to the accommodation. This soon became a favourite. It is home to a few cabanas where I guess you get to stay if you are lucky and wish for the sound of the waves as you sleep. The hammocks and wooden sun loungers make this the perfect spot to chill out at, find a bit of shade, have some respite from the burning hot sand under your feet. Or, you know, to dance around and be crazy as my travel mates and I liked to do in this spot (there was no one around most of the time – so tranquil, until we ruined the tranquility of course!).
The staff are super friendly, and the restaurant is another highlight, providing excellent food throughout the day. We did leave the accommodation for food on several occasion, but there were plenty of times we had no need to, and gave in to the delicious food on offer at the on-site restaurant. They do a special Sri Lankan dish each night to mix things up too, so it’s not always the same thing. You don’t need to stay at the accommodation to visit the restaurant. It is worth checking out for some delicious, cheap eats even if you don’t choose to stay here.
What to do in Arugam Bay?
Activities: GetYourGuide is full of activities – attractions, tours – it is super handy even if you don’t want to book on here but for some extra inspiration of things to do in Arugam Bay and beyond.
– Arugam Bay Beach
Of course you must visit Arugam Bay Beach, I mean, the beach is what a trip to this stunning crescent shaped coastline is all about.
Palm trees border the beautiful beach, while the ocean acts as a heated bath, although a rather ferocious one at times. Remember, Arugam Bay is a surf spot, meaning it is known for its strong waves. Be careful when swimming!
The long half-moon beach is both a hive of activity and a deserted, untouched beauty. The further north, the more tranquil it becomes. Locals and visitors alike are found in abundance at the southern end – bay-front bars and restaurants are a big draw, while many fishing boats are docked on the sand, workers coming and going.
The ocean-side bars and restaurants, equipped with tables and chairs as well as sun loungers out on the sand, shade available if needed, make for the most relaxing and comfortable of beach days. Drinks on the beach never tasted so good, traditional Sri Lankan and western food available for order when the hunger strikes.
Of course, beautiful coastal sunsets are also on offer from Arugam Bay Beach. Be sure not to miss one of those!
– Surf
Remember I mentioned Arugam Bay is the best surf spot in Sri Lanka?
Well, surfing is therefore a must do activity when visiting this area.
Whether looking to simply hire a board and take to the waves on your own accord, or learn the basics with the help of some lessons, Arugam Bay caters for you. Along the main strip you will find surf schools from where you can organise everything, but be sure to ask around for the best deals. When organising lessons, this includes the boards and tuktuk to get to the surf spot and back, so there is no stress about needing to sort things out separately.
Alternatively, if you prefer to be more prepared and organised, you can book online already before arriving in town – check out some options here.
There are various surf breaks along the immediate coastal area where you can catch some waves, whatever your skill level.
So, as it wouldn’t feel right to not partake in the most popular activity around I soon found myself at one of Arugam Bay’s top surf spots – Whiskey Point. I never would have discovered this gem had it not been for signing up for surf lessons, so for that alone it was worth it! This is an excellent surf spot for beginners (okay this wasn’t actually my fist time surfing but you know, still a complete novice).
Surfing was a lot of fun, despite my predominantly failing to catch waves efforts! We took a lesson with just two of us, so it was pretty intimate – the best way to learn. The great thing about this spot was we didn’t even have to paddle out too far as he waves broke pretty close to shore. This is such a great active start to the morning living the ultimate sun, sea, sand lifestyle that Arugam Bay is known for. Who cares if you’ve not got the skills, surfing really is a must do in Arugam Bay!
Even if you don’t fancy surfing, Whiskey Point would still be worth heading to as it is a beautiful area.
– Elephant Rock Point
Elephant Rock point is a pretty secluded spot in Arugam Bay which is well worth a visit.
I mean, everyone loves a good sunset, right?
Well, Elephant Rock Point may be popular as a top surf area, but more than that, it is the must visit sunset spot in Arugam Bay.
It is situated south of Arugam Bay centre, and to get there you must take a tuktuk (nothing new there!). It is around a twenty minute drive and you may even see some elephants en route.
Elephant Rock Point, as the name would suggest, is home to Elephant Rock. So, of course, prepare to climb, as it is from the summit that you will want to watch the sun descend.
The short climb to the top of the rock provides panoramic views over this unspoilt coastal area. Looking over the stretch of sand, surfers catching waves, fishermen working, the beach separated from the lagoon by a sandbank, with the surrounding greenery amplifying the beauty of the area as the colours change with the fading of the sun, is simply a sight that must be seen.
Note: The lagoon and surrounding rivers are home to crocodiles. Be aware and DO NOT swim there.
When I visited, the sunset itself, highly masked by clouds, wasn’t particularly spectacular, but it was breathtaking nonetheless. It was also pretty quiet (and a little eerie to be honest – there was a nationwide curfew in place), but it felt a little like an unknown spot that we were lucky enough to encounter.
If you can’t make it for sunset, it is still well worth a visit during the day. Or even better, head earlier for a stroll along the beach, or a surf, and then climb the rock for sunset.
Note: As it is secluded, make sure you have a way to leave again – it’s not a spot from where to flag down tuktuks, unless you get yourself back to the main road. Visiting for sunset, we had our tuktuk driver wait for us to climb the rock, watch the sunset and descend again. You do not want to be getting stranded when darkness falls!
– Go on a Mangrove Tour
For the opportunity to see some more of Sri Lanka’s wildlife up close and with a guide, you can take a mangrove tour in Arugam Bay. There are a few different options of tours, you can check them out below:
- Arugambay: Mangrove Watching in Pottuvil Lagoon
- Arugambay :Pottuvil Lagoon Safari Eco Tours
- Mangrove Lagoon Safari
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These are just a few of the ways you can spend your time here. If you’re into yoga, this is your place too – there are ample yoga classes on offer around the town.
So, whether you have two days or a week to spare, this is your go to place. We ended up spending 6 days in Arugam Bay, which was longer than intended, and it did not feel like too long. It is such a welcoming place and you easily get so accustomed to the way of living here.
Arugam Bay really is a gem on the east coast which is well worth a visit.
Another awesome beach spot to visit on Sri Lanka’s east coast is Nilaveli – check out my post here to read about it.
