I recently spent a good month discovering non-touristy places in Sri Lanka. As a beach lover, I wanted to find the perfect, white sand beach without masses of people, and with unique things to witness.
After weeks of research, I finally found Rekawa Beach, the hidden beach near Tangalle. At Rekawa Beach, we saw turtle hatchlings, relaxed at empty beaches, and saw the most amazing wildlife all around.
In this travel guide, I cover everything you need to know before visiting Rekawa Beach in Sri Lanka: getting there, top activities, animal encounters, where to stay, and more. Read along!
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Rekawa Beach Location + Getting There
Rekawa Beach is a 4-kilometer-long, pristine, white-sand beach located near Tangalle. It is one of the most eastern beaches you can visit on the southern shoreline of Sri Lanka. (Further east, there are only marshlands and mangrove forests.)
Due to its location, this beach is off the usual tourist path. It is very calm compared to most nearby beaches in Sri Lanka.
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Where to Stay at Rekawa Beach
There are many hotels around Rekawa Beach based on your preferences. However, I highly recommend staying at the Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel. I stayed there and immediately felt like family.
I will never forget the kindness of the hotel members:
– When I had a sunburn, they gave me aloe vera from the garden.
– When I told the team that I hadn`t seen my favorite bird (the hornbill) yet, they called me on my phone when the birds were around.
– When we left the hotel, they took us to the bus station and ensured we got on the right bus, and pre-reserved seats on the crowded bus for us.
Entrance to the Hotel 
Breakfast with Beautiful Flowers 
Our Spotless Room
Reasons to stay at Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel?
– The rooms are spacious, spotless, and include a refillable water tank.
– The food they prepared was amazing (the best we had in the country!), and they picked some of the ingredients from the garden
– We saw the most amazing animals in the garden (monkeys, birds, mongoose, etc.)
Alternatively, there are other great hotel options, such as the Star Light Cabanas (budget hotel), or the Ananthaya Beach Resort.
Best Things to Do at Rekawa Beach
We fit Rekawa Beach to our Sri Lanka Itinerary as we wanted to find a pristine, empty, long beach. Spending time on the Rekawa Beach also made sense before heading to Ella.
>>> Read more: The Perfect 10 Days in Sri Lanka Itinerary
1. Relax on the Beach
Undoubtedly, one of the best things to do around Rekawa is to spend time on the beach. Watching the waves and having the beach almost for yourself is a unique experience.
2. Sri Lanka Turtles: Hatchling Encounter
Turtles come to Rekawa Beach to nest at night, and sometimes the turtles hatch during the day.
Take a walk on the beach at random times during daylight and you might witness some turtle hatchlings on their way to the ocean. Although they usually hatch during nighttime, sometimes you can see them during the day.
We were lucky to see turtle hatchlings twice.
Turtle Hatchling Turtles Leave such Recognizable Footprints
Turtle Watch Rekawa: There is an ongoing conservation project to protect the nesting turtles and their hatchlings. Turtle Watch Rekawa offers to take visitors to the beach every night to show the turtles laying their eggs and to release the hatchlings to the ocean.
(I decided not to participate due to the several bad comments I saw online.)
3. Go to the Water Pond and Look for Wildlife
Close to the Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel, there is a water pond teeming with wildlife. Go there in the early morning, or before sunset, and you will see many different animals. We saw snakes, turtles, frogs, and countless bird species here.
Pro Tip: If you love wildlife, don`t miss the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
A Frog Straight from a Fairy Tale Water Pond Packed with Animals
4. Visit the Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary
In the Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary, close to 150 different bird species have been recorded, including some rare and threatened bird species. You can go on a safari using paddle boards, join bird photography tours, or take a walk in the lagoon.
Unfortunately, I did not visit this bird sanctuary when I was in Sri Lanka. I regret it deeply and won`t miss it next time I travel to Sri Lanka.
Where: the Kalametiya Bird Sanctuary is 30 minutes away from Rekawa.
Best Time to Visit the Rekawa Beach
Seasonality: On the southern coast of Sri Lanka, the dry season runs from December to April. During this time, it rains less and all facilities (restaurants and hotels) stay open.
Bird Migration: At the end of the dry season (end of April), thousands of migratory birds fly here from India. They come here to feed at the drying lagoons.
Rekawa Beach Wildlife
Wildlife around the Rekawa Beach is nothing short of amazing. We saw turtle hatchlings, mongoose, monkeys, kingfishers, the Sri Lankan giant squirrel, peacocks, and many other animals.
The pictures below represent only a fraction of the different animal species we saw around Rekawa. Have a look!
Restaurants around Rekawa Beach
Although not so many, there are some places to eat around Rekawa Beach. We liked the below restaurants the most and ate there every day.
Turtle Paradise Hotel, Sea Food and Bar:
Friendly people and good cooking, too. We especially loved the fried peanuts with curry leaves and onion.
Heaven in Satinwoods:
We stayed in this hotel and ate there on most days. They cook very well and make sure their guests have the best experience. They offer dinner options for their guests.
Heading to Ella after Rekawa? Transfer Option
Heading from Rekawa Beach to Ella? This highly rated Rekawa-Ella transfer takes you straight from your Rekawa hotel to your Ella hotel + including a visit to Yala National Park—Sri Lanka’s most popular park to see wildlife.
It’s a smart way to save time and add a memorable experience to your trip.
Book Transfer to Ella, including Yala National Park
Pickup locations: Tangalle (Rekawa) or Hiriketiya
Why Choose this Tour: If you head to Ella, taking this tour is a great way to save time with transfer and see the world-famous Yala National Park.
Tip: Choose the earliest departure!
What to expect: In Yala – crocodiles, elephants, leopards, hornbills, peacocks
Duration: 6 hours
Thank you very much for the wonderful article. You will be included in a plan on my next trip
Dear Saleh, thank you very much for your kind words. It made my day! 🙂 You will love Rekawa Beach, I`m sure!