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South coast

Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya)

Mulkirigala Rock Temple costs about $3 per foreign adult (reported by TukTuk Rental and MySLTravel fee lists, read 7 Nov 2026). Plan 2 to 3 nights here, and the good months are Dec to Apr. Tangalle is 211 km from Bandaranaike International Airport, about 3 h 15 min by road, and is known for long, quiet beaches, the Rekawa turtle watch and Hiriketiya surf bay.

Add Tangalle to a tripHotels and rates
Rocky shoreline and palm-lined Goyambokka Beach near Tangalle in low golden light
Goyambokka Beach, TangallePhoto: Satdeep Gill via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
At a glanceThings to doSights and feesActivitiesToursHotelsGetting there

At a glance

Tangalle has long, palm-backed beaches with space, the turtle-nesting beach at Rekawa, and the horseshoe surf bay of Hiriketiya near Dikwella. Hotels range from guesthouses to high-end hideaways spread along the coast, so you need transport. Several beaches have strong currents and shore-break, and turtle sightings at Rekawa are never guaranteed.

Usual stay2 to 3 nights
Good monthsDec to Apr
From the airport211 kmAbout 3 h 15 min by road
Hotels from$36Double room a night, breakfast included, lowest season at a standard we can name a hotel for

Month by month

  • Good month
  • A real drawback: heavy rain, rough sea or a park closure
  • Blank: neither

Months with a real drawback: May to Oct.

Who it suits

  • Honeymooners
  • Families wanting space
  • People who find Mirissa too busy

The downsides

  • Rough sea and strong currents from May to October; several beaches have shore-break at any time and few have lifeguards. Ask before swimming.
  • Spread out; you need transport to get around.
  • Turtles nest year-round, most often around April to July; sightings are never guaranteed.
  • Hiriketiya is crowded in season.
Sea spray shooting up through the rocky Hummanaya blowhole at Kudawella near Tangalle
Hummanaya blowhole, Kudawella, near TangallePhoto: Thilanka Kasunjith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tiled-roof shrine building beneath an overhanging rock at Mulkirigala Rock Temple
Upper terrace of Mulkirigala Rock Temple near TangallePhoto: Dan arndt via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Things to do in Tangalle

  • Rekawa turtle watch at night (community-run; red torches only, no flash)
  • Mulkirigala rock temple
  • Hummanaya blowhole
  • Kalametiya lagoon bird boat at dawn
  • Hiriketiya surf and cafes
  • Goyambokka and Silent Beach
  • Wewurukannala Buddha

Sights and entrance fees

Fees last checked 7 November 2026. Tickets are in the price of a tour when its itinerary lists them. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026). Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.

TempleAbout 1 h 30 min on site

Mulkirigala Rock Temple

A rock temple inland from Tangalle, with painted cave shrines on several terraces up a steep rock, and a dagoba on top with a view over coconut and paddy. The climb is a long flight of steps. It is sometimes called a small Dambulla and has very few visitors.

$6.02 for two adults

LKR 1,000 per person is budgeted; lists give LKR 500 or 1,000. Paid at the temple.

Hours: Daylight hours.

  • Go in the morning; the steps are in full sun later.
  • Cover shoulders and knees; shoes off at each cave terrace.
  • Monkeys are bold at the upper terraces.

Sources

Activities in and around Tangalle

Prices are for the activity only unless the card says a vehicle is included. Last checked 7 November 2026.

  • Painted stork wading through shallow brown water among reeds in Bundala National Park

    Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama) · about 4 hours

    Bundala bird safari (private jeep)

    A wetland park of lagoons and salt pans south of Tissamaharama, known for water birds and migrants rather than big animals. Flamingos are present in some years, not every year. Crocodiles and elephants are also seen; it is quieter than Yala.

    $61

    per person for two, activity only

  • Leopard walking toward the camera along a sand track with two safari jeeps of visitors behind it, Yala

    Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama) · add-on

    Naturalist guide for your safari

    An English-speaking naturalist rides in your jeep and explains what you see: tracks, calls, birds, behaviour. Worth it for birders and first-time safari-goers. The naturalist does not change your odds of a leopard.

    $13

    per person for two, activity only

  • Green sea turtle swimming over seagrass in shallow water off Sri Lanka

    Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya) · about 3 hours

    Turtle nesting watch at Rekawa beach

    A night watch on Rekawa beach run by the Turtle Conservation Project: you wait at the visitor centre from 20:30 and are walked to a nesting turtle only if one comes ashore. On some nights none do. Red torches only, no flash, no touching, and no hatchlings on request.

    No charge from us. The project charges an admission fee at the visitor centre; the amount is not published. You pay there, not to us.

  • Aerial view of Mirissa bay with Parrot Rock, surf lines and the palm-covered town behind

    Mirissa (with Weligama) · about 4 hours

    Yoga day pass at Talalla Retreat

    A day pass at a beach retreat between Dickwella and Tangalle: one yoga class in the open-air shala, a meal, the bathhouse and the pool. Classes are mixed level. Not a retreat stay, just a day.

    $48

    per person for two, activity only

Tours that stay in Tangalle

Round tours with a night or more here. You can change the route, the nights and the hotels in the planner.

  • Rolling hill covered in tea bushes with scattered trees on the crest under blue sky and white clouds

    9 days · Superior hotels

    Honeymoon Sri Lanka, 9 days

    Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana), Kandy, Hatton (Adam's Peak and tea country), Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama), Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya)

    Rock, tea bungalow, train, safari, beach

    $1,268

    per person for two, 9 days, superior hotels, shoulder season, tickets included, one activity paid there

  • Sri Lankan leopard walking along a sandy jeep track in Wilpattu National Park

    12 days · Comfort hotels

    Wilpattu to the south coast, 12 days

    Negombo, Wilpattu National Park, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya (Dambulla and Habarana), Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama), Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya)

    Three parks, two ancient cities, the hills and a beach

    $1,368

    per person for two, 12 days, comfort hotels, shoulder season, tickets included, temple-run sites and one activity paid there

  • Surfer holding a longboard looks out at small waves on Weligama beach

    8 days · Comfort hotels

    Surf and beach, south coast, 8 days

    Mirissa (with Weligama), Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya), Hikkaduwa

    Weligama lessons, whales, Hiriketiya, Hikkaduwa

    $824

    per person for two, 8 days, comfort hotels, November rates, tickets included, one activity paid there

  • Two purple heen bowitiya flowers and a bud among dark green leaves, a herb used in Ayurveda

    8 days · Comfort hotels

    Ayurveda and wellness, 8 days

    Bentota (Beruwala, Kalutara and Ahungalla), Tangalle (Rekawa and Hiriketiya)

    Daily Ayurveda at Bentota, then a quiet beach

    $1,165

    per person for two, 8 days, comfort hotels, shoulder season, tickets included

Hotels in Tangalle

Planning rates for a double room per night, taxes and service included. They run from $36 to $600 depending on standard and season. Rates checked 7 November 2026.

Planning rates per double room per night in Tangalle, in US dollars
StandardLowShoulderPeakChristmas
Simple$36$40$52$60
Comfort$68$75$100$115
Superior$120$140$225$280
Luxury$255$300$480$600

Seasons here: Low 1 May to 31 Oct. Shoulder 1 Apr to 30 Apr and 1 Nov to 20 Dec. Peak 10 Jan to 31 Mar. Christmas 21 Dec to 9 Jan.

Bed and breakfast unless the itinerary says otherwise. These are planning rates built from public prices. Choose your dates and the booker shows the price for them; if a rate changes while you are booking, nothing is booked and you see the new price first. Once you book, your booking keeps its price. On a multi-day trip our 8% planning fee is added to the hotel and vehicle cost, as its own line.

Amanwella costs about three times the luxury rate, with four to six night minimums, and our prices do not cover it. The sea at Tangalle is often rough with a strong undertow; swimming is not safe on every beach or every day.

Simple

clean guesthouses and small hotels

  • Sea Bay Inn Tangalle (guesthouse)
  • Heavenly Hideaway (guesthouse)
  • Hidden Garden Tangalle (guesthouse)

Or similar.

Comfort

3-star or good boutique

  • Ganesh Garden Beach Cabanas (beach cabanas)
  • Serenity Beach Cabanas (beach cabanas)
  • Lagoon gate Tangalle Resort (boutique)

Or similar.

Superior

4-star

  • Sleeping Elephant Beach Resort (4-star standard)
  • Eva Lanka Hotel, Beach & Wellness (4-star standard)
  • Arinna Beach Resort (boutique)

Or similar.

Luxury

5-star or top boutique

  • Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle (5-star): Resort on a headland outside town.
  • Lankavatara Ocean Retreat & Spa (5-star boutique)
  • Halcyon Mawella (boutique): On Mawella beach.

Or similar.

Hotels are named as examples of the standard you will get. If a named hotel is full we book one of the same standard in the same area and tell you which.

How hotel standards work

Where the figures come from

  • Majeste planning rate table, checked 7 Nov 2026
  • Booking.com city landing pages, snapshot 7 Nov 2026, checked 7 Nov 2026
  • Mr & Mrs Smith, Amanwella offers, checked 7 Nov 2026

Getting to Tangalle

Planning times for a private car in daylight, with one short stop and no sightseeing. Add 20 to 40 minutes to leave or enter Colombo at rush hour, and 10 to 20 percent in heavy rain or after dark in the hills.

Road distance and planning time from Tangalle
ToDistanceTime
Mirissa (with Weligama)A2 coast road or E0148 km1 h 15 min
Galle (with Unawatuna)E01 from Beliatta74 km1 h 30 min
Yala (Tissamaharama and Kataragama)A2 or E0181 km1 h 45 min
Udawalawe National ParkVia Embilipitiya70 km1 h 45 min
ColomboE01 Southern Expressway, exit Beliatta182 km3 h
AirportE01 Southern Expressway to the Beliatta exit211 km3 h 15 min
EllaWellawaya, Thanamalwila, Hambantota and E01136 km3 h 15 min

Read more

Add Tangalle to a trip

Nothing to pay now. You pay in cash when the trip starts: to your driver when the booking includes our vehicle, otherwise to the person we name with the meeting point. No deposit, no card details online.

Add Tangalle to a trip