Skip to main content
Two surfers carrying boards along a palm-lined beach at dusk.

East Coast

Arugam Bay

One of Asia's great right-hand point breaks

  • East Coast
  • Best May–Sep
  • 3nights suggested

Arugam Bay is a single sandy road behind a long right-hand point break, and from May to September it is one of the best and most consistent surf destinations in Asia. Out of season it empties almost completely. Kumana National Park and a string of lagoons sit within a short tuk-tuk ride.

Main Point is the wave that made the place: a long, workable right that breaks over sand and rock and holds a crowd. Beginners are better off at Baby Point or Whiskey Point a little north, where boards and lessons are easy to arrange.

The season is sharply defined. From roughly April or May to September the swell is consistent and the weather dry; from November to March the surf dies, the rain arrives and many places shut for the season.

Beyond the surf, Kumana National Park is an hour south and is one of the island's best bird sites, with a large mangrove lagoon that fills with painted storks, pelicans and spoonbills. Elephants and the occasional leopard cross the road on the way there.

Arugam Bay is remote — about three hours from Ella and five to six from Yala or Trincomalee — so it works best as a place you commit several days to rather than pass through.

Highlights

  • Main Point's long right-hand wall
  • Beginner surf at Baby Point and Whiskey Point
  • Kumana National Park's bird lagoons
  • Elephant Rock and the lagoons at sunset
  • Yoga and a slow pace between sessions
Region
East Coast
Best months
May–Sep
Suggested stay
3 nights

Surf season runs roughly May to September, which is exactly when the south-west coast is wet. Many businesses close from November to March.

Where it is

Arugam Bay is in East Coast.

Loading map…

Getting there & around

Advisory door-to-door estimates for typical road conditions, not live routing output.

By road

  • Ella3h journey from Arugam Bay

  • Yala National Park3h 30m journey from Arugam Bay

    Inland via Monaragala.

  • Trincomalee5h journey from Arugam Bay

    Long coastal run via Batticaloa — split it or start very early.

Experiences here

  • Adventure

    Surfing Arugam Bay

    Main Point's long right-hand wall from May to September, with gentler beginner waves at Baby Point and Whiskey Point a few minutes up the coast.

    • 2–3 hours
    • Moderate

    Good valueindicative

Nearby destinations

  • Hill Country

    Ella

    A gap in the mountains with the whole south below it

    • Best Feb–Apr & Jul–Sep
    • 2 nights

  • Wilderness & National Parks

    Yala National Park

    The best chance of a leopard anywhere on earth

    • Best Feb–Jul
    • 2 nights

  • East Coast

    Trincomalee

    One of the world's great natural harbours, and the calmest water on the island

    • Best May–Aug
    • 2 nights

Put Arugam Bay on your trip

Build a full itinerary around it, or send us an enquiry directly. Either way, nothing is booked or charged until you accept a quotation.

Build a plan through hereEnquire directly