Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Unawatuna
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Unawatuna is a cautionary tale for the rest of Sri Lanka's south coast. Where there was
once a flawless crescent of golden sand that swept along a palm-lined shore with turquoise
waters that had just enough surf to make for ideal swimming conditions, there is now one
of Sri Lanka's less appealing beach towns.
The beautiful water is still there and you can still find decent patches of sand, but in sev-
eral places greed has replaced good taste and common sense. Bulldozers have pushed huge
boulders right up to and beyond the high tide line, allowing for the construction of some
especially ugly hotels and cafes. Ironically, authorities have actually enforced setbacks on
the west half of Unawatuna's beach and the result is much more salubrious.
Unawatuna makes for a good, quick beach escape from Galle's Fort: it's only 6km
southeast. Otherwise it offers a cheap and cheerful sandy idyll, at least on the bulldozer-
and boulder-free west end.
