Travel to Bentota

quiet beaches and an authentic island feel

The town of Bentota is located on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka.

Around 1550 the Portuguese built a defensive fort here, alongside the Bentota River. However, unlike the fort at Galle to the south, this smaller outpost was not built on by the Dutch and instead fell into disrepair. The British later operated it as a sanatorium for military personnel, which was described as ‘one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on the island’.

Modern day Bentota remains a relatively relaxed coastal town, which is well known for its collection of decent quality beach hotels.

The beaches themselves are pleasantly quiet, largely without restaurants, bars and stores. The waterfront is simply punctuated by hotels, mostly positioned at discrete distances from one another. There are further facilities a short walk inland in most areas.

One of the most interesting aspects of this area is the work of renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa, who is widely regarded as a founder of ‘tropical modernism’, with most of his works dating from the period 1955-85.

Although his vast portfolio of work ranges across Asia, Bentota was his home and contains some fine examples of his work, notably including some of the hotels (Lunuganga, Club Villa, Avani Bentota).

Activities in the area include kayaking on the Bentota River and visiting the historic Fort Galle to the south. There is also an interesting turtle hatchery.

Because of its location 60 km south of the main airport at Colombo, Bentota is often used as a nice beach location to rest up at the start or end of a trip, as an alternative to staying inside the historic fort at Galle.

The best time of year to visit the Bentota area is generally considered to be during the Jan-Mar southwest dry season and, to a lesser extent, the Jun-Aug northeast dry season.

Temperatures are more or less constant year round, with daytime temperatures around 28C/82F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures up at a potentially uncomfortable 24C/75F.

The main issue is rainfall, which is highest Sep-Nov and has another smaller peak Apr-May. These periods are therefore usually best avoided, although the rain is sporadic and there are plenty of sunny spells in between.

Getting there

The Bentota area is usually reached by road. For our guests, this means combining it with various other locations on the island in a private guided overland safari, travelling in the company of an expert driver-guide. Popular connections include …

Colombo : 1-2 hours
Galle : 1 hour
Yala : 2-3 hours
Nuwara Eliya : 2-3 hours

The Bentota area also has a train service, connecting from Colombo in the north and heading onto Galle to the south.. If you specifically want to include a rail journey in your trip, then it should be possible for you to take the train, whilst your driver-guide drives on to meet you at the far end.

Where to stay

Accommodation in the Bentota area falls into two main categories …

The first option is to stay at one of the small resorts along the main beachfront, the best of which are slightly further south and are not immediately backed by the main coastal highway.

The second option is to stay at one of the smaller lodges further inland, which tend to have more character, but obviously lack that ocean feel.

some interesting lodge options further inland