Call now
Whatsapp now

Popular Places to Visit in Bentota


Bentota, on Sri Lanka's southwest coast, is a popular tourist destination. Its long Bentota Beach stretches north, adjacent to Bentota Lagoon, where it becomes a sandy sliver known as Paradise Island. Canoe Rock is a coral-rich dive location and is one of the top places to visit in Bentota. The centuries-old Galapota Temple on the Bentota River includes a big Buddha statue. Lunuganga, the estate and gardens of architect Geoffrey Bawa, is located to the southeast. The Brief Garden of his brother Bevis is located in the northeast. One of the mandatory things to do in Bentota is enjoying the variety of watersports on offer.



How to travel

Distance from Airport – 110 km

By Road

110 km or 1 ½ to 2 hours

Colombo – bentota Express way – No traffic – include tolls

By Train - 110 km

Colombo – bentota Express train – 1 to 1 ½ Hour’s

Walk in to Colombo fort railway station and you can get tickets for 3rd class and 2nd class. (3rd class railway tickets price is very cheap)

3rd class is very crowded sometimes not recommended for tourists.

To pre-book a rail journey contact a travel agency

For more information, log in to – http://www.railway.gov.lk/web

By Air

Colombo – Benthota – 10 to 15 mins.
The following travel companies offer internal chatter flights and Helicopter tours

https://www.cinnamonair.com/

https://www.senoksl.com/travel-and-leisure/airport-and-aviation-services-sri-lanka.html

01 Kalutara Bodhi Temple

Kalutara Bodhi Temple

The Kalutara Chaitya is a Buddhist stupa in Sri Lanka's Kalutara District, just south of the Kalutara Bridge and is one of the top places to visit in Bentota. It is one of the world's few hollow Buddhist stupas, and its interior features 74 murals depicting various aspects of the Buddha's life.

02 Kande Vihare – Buddhist Temple

Kande Vihare

Kande Vihara is a significant Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka's Kalutara District. Because it is erected on top of a hill near Aluthgama town, the temple is known as 'Kande vihara' (Mountain temple). The temple has been designated as an archaeological site by the Sri Lankan government.

03 Bentota Beach

Bentota Beach
Location

Bentota Beach is one of Sri Lanka's most beautiful and appealing beaches. It is 65 kilometers from the city of Colombo. Bentota Beach is one of Sri Lanka's most tranquil and soothing locations. Taking a stroll here is one of the most refreshing things to do in Bentota.

04 Calido Beach Kalutara

Calido Beach Kalutara
Location

The crashing of waves, foam-rimmed water and the pristine sands that emanate the heat of the sun is a heady combination. The spit of land is surrounded by tall, swinging coconut trees. It's a little slice of heaven; simply another beautiful day on Calido Beach.

The crashing of waves, foam-rimmed water and the pristine sands that emanate the heat of the sun is a heady combination. The spit of land is surrounded by tall, swinging coconut trees. It's a little slice of heaven; simply another beautiful day on Calido Beach.

05 Fahien’s Cave

Fahien’s Cave
Location

Fa Hien Cave, also known as Pahiyangala Cave, is a cave in the district of Kalutara, Western Province, Sri Lanka, named for an alleged historical resident, Buddhist monk Fa-Hien, according to a folk tradition. This legend, however, is not backed up by archaeological or historical data. Nonetheless, during investigations in the 1960s, 1980s, and 2013, Late Pleistocene human fossilized skeleton remains were discovered in the cave's sediments, making the site archaeologically significant.

06 Sinharaja Rain Forest

Sinharaja Rain Forest
Location

The Sinharaja Forest Reserve, designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site, is home to a variety of unusual plants and species. The area is home to a variety of indigenous Sri Lankan plants and animals. It is also the country's last remaining tropical rainforest, making it extremely important. This reserve is 21 kilometers long from east to west and 7 kilometers long from north to south, and it is densely covered with vegetation that forms a canopy.

07 Kosgoda Turtles Hatchery

Kosgoda Turtles Hatchery
Location

The Kosgoda Turtle Care initiative seeks to conserve sea turtle eggs while also increasing hatching rates. They not only hatch turtles but also treat disabled turtles and those who have become weak as a result of fishing. All night long, their staff watches the beach for mother sea turtles emerging from the water to lay their eggs. They protect the mother turtle during the nesting process and transport the eggs from the beach to their hatchery once the eggs have been laid and are safely back in the ocean. Their aim is to get the baby sea turtles back to their natural home as soon as possible when they hatch. Watching a turtle hatching season is one of the best things to do in Bentota.

08 Srilanka’s Traditional Masks

Srilanka’s Traditional Masks
Location

Sithuvili, a boutique antique, arts, and crafts business tucked away on Leybann Street in the UNESCO World Heritage site of bentota Fort, is hosting a hands-on course in Kolam mask carving. An artisan craftsman hosts the workshop, which takes you through the stages of the age-old tradition of mask carving from beginning to end. Kolam masks, Sanni masks, and Raksha masks are some of the masks worn in Sri Lanka. Your host will give you an introduction to Sri Lankan masks and the art of Kolam mask crafting. After that, you'll be given a thorough overview of the tools used to carve a block of wood. Kolam masks are mostly composed of 'kaduru,' a light wood that allows for easy carving and provides durability and lightness. After your master artisan draws the outlines and demonstrates the carving procedures, it's up to you!

He'll be by your side from start to finish if you're unclear about which angles to use or how much pressure to apply to the tools.

09 Benthota Resort Town

Benthota Resort Town
Location

Bentota, on Sri Lanka's southwest coast, is a popular tourist destination. Its long Bentota Beach stretches north, adjacent to Bentota Lagoon, where it becomes a sandy sliver known as Paradise Island. Canoe Rock is a coral-rich dive location. The centuries-old Galapota Temple on the Bentota River includes a big Buddha statue. Lunuganga, the estate and gardens of architect Geoffrey Bawa, is located to the southeast. The Brief Garden of his brother Bevis is located in the northeast.

10 Sailing at Bentota

Sailing at Bentota
Location

Sri Lanka is not well-known as a sailing destination, but that is improving. The best boating spots on the west coast are Beruwela and Bentota. Bentota is also a hub for watersports due to the Bentota River and the Indian Ocean. Private tours on the Kalpitiya lagoon are provided on the northwest shore making it one of the top places to visit in Bentota for sports enthusiasts.

11 Tour on Bentota River

Tour on Bentota River
Location

Bentota is a wonderful tiny southern enclave with several attractions, the most notable of which being the Bentota River and its tributaries, which snake through beautiful tropical terrain and are best enjoyed on a river safari. Relax and take in the scenery while taking a boat trip along the river and through the mangroves. To top it off, there's jet-skiing, banana boat excursions, and a variety of other water activities to choose from.

12 Lunuganga Garden Tour

Lunuganga Garden Tour
Location

Lunuganga is a Sri Lankan estate that was restored by the renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa from the time it was purchased in 1948 until his death. It is now a Teardrop Hotels-managed country hotel under the Lunuganga Trust's management. There are six different sorts of rooms, with the bentotary Studio being our favourite. The atmosphere is calm, and the sensation you receive while wandering through the estate is out of this world. The hospitality was great, and the COVID-19 health standards were followed to the letter, with visitors' temperatures being checked frequently.

13 Benthota Bazar

Benthota Bazzar
Location

This bazaar, located in the heart of Bentota, is one of the best places to visit in Bentota. It features a small number of stores where tourists can purchase textiles, keepsakes, ornamental gift items, and carved wood and brassware.

14 Camping at Sinharaja Forest

Camping at Sinharaja Forest
Location

Sinharaja is a gorgeous tropical evergreen rainforest that looks to be undisturbed by people. In 1978, this renowned tourist site was declared as a World Biosphere Reserve, and in 1988, it was named a World Heritage Site. It is an art to visit and enjoy a rainforest. Because the way a rainforest works is a work of art in and of itself. Sinharaja has a complex and diversified ecology with five levels of the canopy. Each layer of the forest is a separate country unto itself. Hiking through the lush forest and following the natural routes will lead you to breathtaking landscapes, massive wooden trees, and flowing streams where you can observe the ecological evolution process.

15 Water Sport at Bentota

Water Sport at Bentota
Location

Bentota is a popular place for adventure seekers in Sri Lanka. Bentota has risen to the top of Sri Lanka's tourism map because of its water sports, and it has more than enough to keep your vacation exciting.

A boat tour on the Bentota River, as well as other water sports activities such as water skiing, windsurfing, banana rides, wakeboarding, jet skiing, tube rides, sea diving, snorkelling, and surfing, are all must-dos while visiting Bentota. If you haven’t tried your hand at watersports before, there are courses available at several water sports centres to help you get started.