Family Surfing Holidays in Sri Lanka

MELLOW WAVES AND STRESS-FREE FAMILY HOLIDAYS IN TROPICAL PARADISE

Sri Lanka offers the glorious combo of mellow, warm waves, stylish seafront accommodation and an easy, safe destination for families who want a taste of surfing in an exotic location. When you’re not cooling off in the sea, snorkelling with turtles and trimming along perfect little peelers, you can encounter elephants, hop aboard a whale-watching trip and kickback with a coconut or cocktail by the beach.

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Sri Lanka Overview

Mellow waves and tropical beaches, punctuated with fresh coconut stops, the shady retreat of beach restaurants and stylish surf villas beside the waves. Despite the long-haul flight, Sri Lanka has lured us back time and time again, ticking all the boxes for a family surf trip – especially in the middle of our UK winter.

WIth paradise beach breaks, mellow reef breaks and rolling points, Sri Lanka is a family surfing mecca with waves for everyone. What’s more the Southern Province around Weligama works best from November to April, while the East Coast around Arugam Bay is best from June to October. And it’s not just a tropical surfing paradise –  Sri Lanka is packed with culture and things to do, from temples, train rides and tea plantations, to elephant safaris and whale watching trips.

Featured Sri Lanka Surf Trips

QUICK FACTS ABOUT SRI LANKA AS A FAMILY SURF DESTINATION

Getting there: Direct flights from London to Sri Lanka (Colombo), with Sri Lankan Airlines. Flight time 10.5–11.5 hours. Other airlines offer flights with a stop in either the Middle East or India.
Getting around: From Colombo it’s about 2.5 hours transfer to Ahangama in the Southern Province, or 6.5 hours to Arugam Bay. From your accommodation it’s easiest to travel around by tuk-tuk, and most drivers have straps for your surfboards. 
Surf season: November to April in the Southern Province, while the East Coast is best from May to October.
Surfing level: Beginner to intermediate/ advanced. 
Climate: Hot and humid, 28-30C, year-round, with monsoon season hitting the Southern Province from May to October, and the East Coast from November to April.
Wetsuit:  Bikinis, boardshorts and rash vests. Reef boots are optional. 
Time zone: GMT + 5:30
Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee

Family Surf Co says:
We travelled to Sri Lanka when all the kids were under 10, and the gentle waves and family-friendly culture were perfect with a young family. Our three year-old learnt to surf there and we were all in the ocean from dawn to dusk.

It’s a paradise escape from the brutal UK winters, and an affordable destination if you’re looking to undertake a longer family surfing trip. As well as beach life,
the wildlife experiences were incredible – from boat trips to see orca and spinner dolphins, to snake farms and elephant safaris. 

Hayley Lawrence

Read on to discover the best locations to surf, play, eat and stay on your family surfing holiday in Sri Lanka.

SURF: WHERE TO GO FOR YOUR FAMILY SURF HOLIDAY IN SRI LANKA

From its paradise beach breaks to mellow reef breaks, Sri Lanka is a surfing mecca with waves for the whole family. Play in the white water and get to grips with the basics on sandy beaches, or step up to the peeling waves of the reefs and points that are so much more approachable than those in Indo and other destinations in Southeast Asia. 

Balmy water temperatures and accessible waves entice the crowds, so get used to getting up at first light and catching your share of waves before breakfast.

Some of our Favourite Surf Spots in Sri Lanka

Surf Breaks in Midigama

Coconuts

Just a few steps across the green from Lion’s Rest <link>, Coconuts reef break can be quite a fast, powerful right-hander on its day. It’s a great spot for non-surfing family members to chill out and spectate while sipping a fresh coconut on the green.  

Plantations

A peeling right-hander on a deep, sand-covered reef, Plantations is the sort of fun, entry-level reef break that Sri Lanka is known for. It does get busy, but there is sometimes a less-crowded second peak breaking on the inside – just watch out for the reef when you’re paddling in and out. 

Weligama Bay

This sandy bay is great for beginners. Being in a bigger surf town it can get crowded, but it’s safe for younger kids to splash around too. Watch the fishing boats come and go, and in the evening a row of al fresco market stalls set up tables in the sand and serve seafood fresh from the fishing boats. 

Lazy Left & Lazy Right

These well-known longboarding spots flanking a channel get super-crowded, but it’s worth joining the pack and waiting your turn for one of the long rides. Lazy Rights is often slightly less busy, and an easy-going introduction to reef surfing where less experienced surfers can catch the reforms on the inside. 

Rams

In a different league to the entry-level reef breaks in the area, Rams is a fast, hollow wave with heavy lefts and barrelling rights over shallow reef – perfect for any experienced surfers in the family who are hungry for more of a challenge. 

Surf Breaks in Ahangama

The Rock, Kabalana

One of Sri Lanka’s best-known reef breaks, The Rock bowls up long, powerful lefts and rights and can hold quite a bit of size. Although it gets crowded, you can usually find more space on the right-hander beside the main peak. Kabalana is a great spot for the whole family, as younger children and beginners can surf the whitewater on the inside, while intermediates can enjoy this more challenging wave just a few hundred metres away.

Kabalana

This palm-fringed, sandy beach is the perfect spot for beginners to master the first steps of surfing in the whitewater. It can be a bit of a beach dump and you have to watch out for rip currents, but there are few better locations to frolic in the foamers with the kids until the sun goes down. It’s also a stunning, family-friendly beach to while away a day, with plenty of amenities including fresh fruit stands, surf hire and beach cafés. 

Rajith Surf Point/ Sticks

This consistent break with A-frame peaks is one of our all-time favourite breaks for a sunrise surf. Paddle out from the steps between the RDS Surf School (you’ll see the flags) and the beach restaurant, and you’ll find a couple of peaks breaking over quite a deep, sandy reef. RDS Surf School is also the place to hire kit, get lessons and chill out with coconut, spectating.

South Beach, Koggala

A 2km tuk-tuk ride north of Kabalana, this deep reef break in front of the South Beach Resort reels off some long, slow lefts and rights favoured by beginners and longboarders. Although mellow, it’s a bit of a paddle out for young and inexperienced surfers, and you have to make sure you stay wide of the reef on your entry and exit.

Hiriketiya, Dickwella

This paradise horseshoe bay is home to a long, left-hand point break. There’s only a small take-off area and it gets shallow on the inside, but you can hang out on the shoulder and spot turtles while you’re waiting your turn. On a decent swell, there’s a less crowded right-hand peak on the other side of the bay, as well as a beach break where the kids can play from dawn to dusk (it’s mellow enough to catch a few peelers with a toddler on the nose of a longboard). You can hire longboards on the beach if you don’t want to take your own, and when you’re not surfing there are plenty of beach-shack restaurants to seek shade in.  

SK Town, Matara

With a series of peaks breaking onto a long stretch of black-sand beach, SK Town is one of our family favourites. Although it’s not the prettiest beach in the region, the waves are consistent, the village has a friendly, laidback vibe and a beach break makes a welcome respite from the reefs – especially if you’ve got younger kids and learners in the gang. Intermediate surfers will enjoy it here too – just get up with the sun as it can get crowded. 

Madiha and Polhena, Matara

Backing some of the most stunning snorkelling territory in the region, you’ll discover a series of shallow reef breaks that serve up some of the best waves around for more experienced surfers. It’s not a location for beginners, but the rest of the family will love floating around in the lagoons spotting sea cucumbers, colourful fish and turtles if they’re not up to hitting the waves. 

Featured Sri Lanka Surf Trips

PLAY: THINGS TO DO ON A FAMILY SURFING HOLIDAY IN Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is brimming with culture, wildlife and amazing experiences that will take you under the skin of tropical island life. Snorkel with turtles, spot spinner dolphins and blue whales, come face-to-face with elephants and snakes, climb ancient rocks and visit tea plantations. When you’re not riding waves or chilling out in your stylish accommodation by the sea, here are some of our favourite family day trips and activities. 

Swim with Turtles 

Take a dip in the reef-hemmed lagoons and spot turtles, sea cucumbers and all sorts of tropical fish. One of the easiest places to access these underwater gardens is from Polhena beach, where locals hire out tyres for just a few rupees. You only need a mask and snorkel, or even a pair of goggles, to come face-to-face with all sorts of marine life, but if you want to delve deeper into the ocean, the Polhena Diving Centre runs diving trips and PADI courses.

Rope Swings and Snorkelling

Hop in a tuk-tuk to Wijaya Beach, near Unawatuna, and you will find a huge lagoon where you can spot turtles. It’s a great spot to while away an afternoon snorkelling and relaxing in the shoreside cafés, and if you follow the beach around to the west you’ll find a rope swing over the ocean.  

Whale and Dolphin Watching 

What with whales, dolphins and flying fish teeming in the seas around Sri Lanka, it’s well worth taking a boat trip on a flat day or lay day. Make sure you leave at the crack of dawn, on a boat that goes a decent distance offshore (it’s worth the 4 hours at sea, but take travel sickness pills if necessary). Please choose a responsible operator such as The Whale Watching Club, which is run by a team of experts.

Snake Farm Thelijjawila

Head to this snake farm near Matara, to see a king cobra, feel a python wrap itself around you and play with all sorts of non-venomous snakes, including vine snakes. Kids will love this short but intense experience with these scaly reptiles at the home of a snake-bite doctor. 

Koggala Boat Trip

Castaway on Koggala Lake for a boat safari to seven little islands that will introduce you to a little slice of Sri Lankan culture. Look out for water monitors and crocodiles as you motor between the islands, stopping to explore a tropical spice garden, have tea with a local family that harvest cinnamon, visit a temple and have your feet massaged and cleaned by tropical fish. 

Tea Plantation Tour

Sri Lankans produce some of the finest tea on the planet, and a visit to a tea plantation is a trip both adults and children will enjoy. Explore tropical tea gardens and follow each stage of tea production from leaf to cup, on a tour through the tea factory. It’s a fascinating and eye-opening experience, and don’t forget to stock up on teas to remind you of Sri Lanka once you’re back at home. We love the Galaboda Tea Factory near Matara, but ask at your accommodation for the best tea plantation close you. 

Elephant Safari

For a guaranteed, up-close experience with elephants and a low-key family safari head to the Uda Walewe National Park. While many of the other National Parks and elephant encounters offer expensive, less intimate experiences, here you are guaranteed to see plenty of elephants, as well as swamp crocodiles, sambar deer and water birds, in a location where the welfare of the animals is at its core. 

Train Ride from Kandy to Ella

When the surf’s flat, there’s no better way to see the stunning inland scenery of Sri Lanka than through a train window as you wend from plantations to peaks. While many children won’t want to experience some of the longer cross-country train journeys, the half-day trip from Kandy to Ella takes you on a breath-taking journey through the hills, between two of the country’s vibrant cultural hubs. 

EAT: FOOD & DRINK FOR ALL THE FAMILY IN Sri Lanka

Wait for the whistle of the bread man selling freshly baked treats from a tuk-tuk, rehydrate with fresh coconuts sold beside the surf, fill up on rotis (flat breads) stuffed with eggs, fish or even chocolate for lunch, and dine on fresh fish and zingy street food as the sun goes down. Kids will love the noodles and less spicy rice dishes, so you don’t even have to worry about seeking out western food for fussy eaters – just ask the vendors to go easy on the chilli sauce.

One our our favourite spots to eat is at the beach barbecue in Weligama as the sun sets. Here you will find a row of open-air beach restaurants sizzling up seafood fresh from local fishing boats, served at tables in the sand.

STAY: FAMILY-FRIENDLY SURF HOTELS AND ACCOMMODATION IN Sri Lanka

From smart beach resorts to surfside apartments, villas and family surf camps, there’s a huge range of family accommodation in Sri Lanka. It’s not as cheap as it used to be, but it’s still more affordable than many destinations, and many places come with sea views, private tuk-tuks, surf guides, swimming pools and dining options, making your family surfing holiday easy-peasy.

THE WRAP: Head to Sri Lanka for your next Family Holiday

Once you’ve dipped your toes in the ocean hemming this teardrop island in the Indian Ocean, your memories will be filled with waves and adventures that will last a lifetime. 

As well as the surf and family-friendliness, once you’ve shaken the sand from between your toes, culturally, Sri Lanka’s got the edge, too. From temples and tea factories to snake farms and safaris, there is something to entice every family member to get under the skin of tropical island life.

For further inspiration, see this video that we made on our last family trip to Sri Lanka a few years ago.

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Surf Trips in Sri Lanka for Your Next Family Surfing Holiday