Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay is Sri Lanka's best-known surf town, regularly ranked among the better surf destinations in Asia. Main Point, its signature right-hand break, draws surfers from beginner to advanced through the May-to-September season, when swells on the east coast are at their most consistent.

Even without a board, the bay's laid-back strip of guesthouses and cafés, and the long curve of beach itself, make it an easy place to slow down for a few days.

The surrounding area also opens onto Kumana National Park to the south, a quieter wildlife and birding destination, and the Panama lagoon, both feasible as a day trip from town.

Beyond Main Point, the area holds a string of other named breaks — Whiskey Point and Peanut Farm among them — that spread surfers out along the coast rather than concentrating everyone in one spot. Inland, Kumana National Park offers a quieter wildlife and birding alternative to the island's more visited parks, easily combined with a surf trip.