Rekawa Beach – The Most Beautiful Hidden Beach in Sri Lanka

I recently spent a good month discovering non-touristy places in Sri Lanka. I love nature above all and if it’s off the beaten path?
You have more chance to see wildlife.

As a beach lover, I wanted to find the perfect white sand beach:
– without masses of people
– and with abundant wildlife.

With this goal in mind and after weeks of research, I finally found Rekawa Beach, a hidden gem in Sri Lanka.

This post covers everything you need to know about visiting Rekawa Beach in Sri Lanka – from getting there to top activities, animal encounters, and the best places to stay and eat at. Read along!

Location and Getting to Rekawa Beach

Rekawa Beach is roughly a 4 kilometre long, pristine, with sand beach. It is located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, slightly to the east of Tangalle.

Rekawa Beach is one of the most-eastern beaches you can visit on the southern shoreline of Sri Lanka. To the east, there are marshlands, mangrove forests, and lagoons.

Due to its location, this beach is off the usual tourist path. It is very calm compared to most southern beaches in Sri Lanka.

Getting there

You can reach Rekawa Beach within a few hours from most of the popular Sri Lankan travel destinations.

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.

Wildlife around the Rekawa Beach

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!

Rekawa Best Things To Do

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 daylight.

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 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 hatchling 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.

Where: next to the Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel (water pond location)

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.

Where to Stay

There are many hotels around Rekawa Beach based on your budget and taste. My recommendation is to stay at Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel.

Rekawa Beach Hotel Recommendation: Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel

I highly recommend staying at the Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel in Rekawa Beach, Sri Lanka.

I am not a fan of surprises if it`s about finding the right accommodation. Upon arriving at Rekawa Beach Area, there was a hotel we liked based on its online reviews – it had only 10 out of 10 ratings on Booking.com.

We chose to stay there and the reviews were proven to be true. I have never encountered such a professional, yet kind staff like here.

We immediately felt like family and 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 made sure we got on the right bus (towards Ella), and that we had seats on the bus.

Why stay at Heaven in Satinwoods Hotel?
– The rooms are spacious and spotlessly clean, including a refillable water tank (a rarity in Sri Lanka)
– 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 from in the hotel garden and from our balcony (monkeys, birds, mongoose etc.)

If you visit Rekawa Beach, stay at this hotel – you won`t regret it, I promise. 🙂

Where to Eat

Although not so many, there are some places to eat around Rekawa Beach.

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.

FAQ-s about the Rekawa Beach in Sri Lanka

What to Pack for the Rekawa Beach

The Rekawa Beach is hot all year round, therefore pack that extra swimwear. I always have a mosquito net, and AirTag for safety purposes, sunscreen, and a hat with me.

By the way, I have a complete Packing List for Sri Lanka. Check it out.

Traveling to Sri Lanka?

Check out my complete Sri Lanka Packing List.