Unawatuna – quick travel guide

Classic local favorite beach town with many beachside restaurants along the road. Not really a city.

Unawatuna is a local favorite spot for many and it’s easy to see why. Beautiful beaches with a chill vibe, not crowded, great sunset views, and cheap accommodation easily found right next to the beach.

Although you could stay several days, there’s probably very little to do other than sit on the beach and you may get bored. We did just a 1-day stop through here.

Where to stay:

• You’ve got 3 beach areas to choose from.
• Unawatuna Beach – busy beach and popular. Good for families and closer to the busier side of town.
• Dalawella Beach – quieter and cheaper. Has nice beachside restaurants and sunbeds to really chill and enjoy the sunset. We stayed by this one and loved it.
• Mihiripenna Beach – I heard it’s even nicer one and has turtles and snorkeling, nice waters.

Hostels & Hotels:

• Lots of local places to stay at very affordable prices.
• Shady Edge – we came to this place and got a cheaper price directly than via Booking.

Neighborhoods & Walking areas:

• It’s really just walking along the beaches. And visiting whatever shops and restaurants you want.

Activities to do:

• Buildings & architecture –
• Parks, gardens, green spaces –
• Beaches, bridges, water-points –
  • Unawatuna Beach – popular beach, swimmable waters, good for families.
  • Dalawella Beach – loungey nice beach with restaurant and bar and sunbeds on the water. Nice view of Frog Rock nearby and beautiful sunsets.
  • Mihiripenna Beach – I heard it’s even nicer one and has turtles and snorkeling, nice waters.
  • Thalpe natural pools – nice natural little jacuzzi-like pools created in the rock formations. For whatever reason, it was full of only local men (on the right side) when we came here on a sunny afternoon. Zero females except for my friend. So we came in and went to the left side where nobody was.
• Markets, shopping –
• Arts & museums –
• Viewpoints, landmarks, sunsets –
• Tours –

Restaurants & Cafes:

• Dream Cabana – has the rope swing, and right by Frog Rock
• Wijaya Beach Restaurant – also nice

The restaurants are the beach locations. So basically, the restaurant you pick is also the beach point where you hang out. And these are the top 2 recommendations by a local guy. We saw both and would probably agree. Nice, fancy, high-end (but still affordable for foreigners).

Bars & Clubs:

Miscellaneous tips:

• General travel tips for Sri Lanka.

Nearby towns:

Unfiltered notes: