Ultimate Guide to Exploring Ahangama: Surf, Beach and Good Vibes

After a month and a half of traveling through Sri Lanka I decided to spend my last days in the city of Ahangama before saying goodbye to the island. Ahangama is located on the west coast of Sri Lanka, just before reaching Weligama. It is surrounded by beaches and despite not being as well-known a destination as Mirissa or Hiriketiya, it has become increasingly famous, especially for Its ideal waves to surf.

In addition to surfing, Ahangama is characterized by the contrast of its relaxed atmosphere on the beaches and the mix of local culture with a growing rise in Western tourism. Here I am going to tell you about my experience in Ahangama, the best and the worst of the city so that you can fully enjoy this destination.

I'm going to start by telling you about the best beaches you can find in Ahangama and later I will tell you other relevant aspects and activities that will transform your experience into something more authentic.

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This is the main beach of the city, you will find it as soon as you enter Ahangama on the main road. It is characterized by the large number of shops, bars and restaurants that give access to the beach. These bars, although they are somewhat expensive compared to the local restaurants, bring life to the beach, you will find a lot of atmosphere. At sunset, people gather here to have a drink and take photos and although you can also surf, it is not a highly recommended spot.

I personally stopped by a couple of times to see the sunset, have a smoothie in Marshmellow Beach House . It is an ideal place to hang out, take a bath and relax by the sea.

Even though Ahangama beach is the main beach in Ahangama, There are other beaches surrounding it that are worth visiting. Some are among the best on the island for surfing:

Kabalana beach is ideal for surfers of all levels. It is known for its super long white sand beach and has an area of gentle breaks that is perfect for beginners. If I'm honest, when I visited Kabalana I didn't find any waves, but I'm sure that on a good day you can surf without a problem.

The Rock, also located in Kabalana, known for its A-shaped reef break, considered one of the best in Sri Lanka. I recommend this spot for intermediate and advanced surfers, as the waves here can be quite consistent and offer good conditions for maneuvering on the wave. If you are a beginner you don't have much to do, you will have to be very careful with the reef.

This surf spot It's my favorite in Ahangama, is a surf spot with a reef break located in front of the Insight Resort. I went two days in a row and there were waves both times for intermediate and advanced beginner level. What I liked most, besides the waves that were perfect with continuous series, was the length of the beach, there was space for everyone despite the number of people in the water.

If you are one of those who is looking for surfing, does not want to overcomplicate and does not have much time to plan the visit, I recommend that you take a look at the surf capms in Ahangama. Being one of the best surfing destinations on the island, it also has the best surf camps. I recommend the one from Dagua Drop.

I've known this surf camp for years now, it's originally from Portugal and they used to look for volunteers at Worldpackers. I have never visited the surf camp in person, but I spoke with their instructors because we met at Surfing Wombats (Hostel where I stayed in Midigama). They transmit good vibes, in addition, they were having lunch there with the surf camp guests, and it was clear that they were having a great time.

Ceylon Sliders is the surf cult shop par excellence on the island. It is a brand founded by a Swedish couple in love with surfing, it currently also includes several restaurants and cafes where you will find their products. You will most likely see tourists and locals wearing their t-shirts on the streets and you will want one.

I recommend that you stop by because in addition to the t-shirts, they usually have photography exhibitions and some very cool postcards. You can find their largest location in Ahangama beach, which has a restaurant, but you can also find them in Weligama.

Staying in Ahangama is quite an experience, there are hotels and villas of all types and sizes you can imagine. I was staying in Terra Resort, which is located about 5 minutes from Kabalana beach. My friend Monica knew its owners, an Israeli guy and his girl, Terra, hence the name of the resort. The venue is the most complete you will find, it has pool, they offer yoga retreats and there is even an area to practice surfskate.

You can also find some good hostels, such as Mellow hostel Ahangama, which offers yoga classes on its terrace and at a very reasonable price, but it is not normal.

In addition to Terra resort, which would be my top 1 accommodation, I leave you here other very good options in case you don't decide.

During my stay in Ahangama I tried several restaurants, mainly on Ahangama beach, but the one that captivated me the most is not located there.

I'm talking about Thai Charm, a Thai restaurant run by a Thai lady who cooks super yummy food. I tried several dishes and was more than satisfied with all of them, but if I have to choose one, I'll choose Pad Thai, a classic.

As for Ahangama beach, this beach is full of restaurants and bars. The food is delicious, so are the drinks, and I won't even tell you about the sunset. Of course, don't look at the prices, because they are going to nail you like a good Westerner. If you are looking for something cheaper go to Thai Charm or any local restaurant that is not located right on the beach.

If you are heading southwest of from Colombo, the best option will be to take a bus on the highway from the Makumbura Multimodal Center station. Once you arrive at the station you will have to ask for the bus to Galle.

Make sure you get on the Highway Bus, if you make a mistake the journey time will be much longer than expected. This is because there is also a bus that passes through all the towns on the coast, always ask before getting on any bus for the duration and direction.

Once in Galle you will simply take the local bus in front of the bus station on the way to Ahangama. Total duration of these two buses from Colombo is usually between 2.5 and 3 hours.

If you plan to go from Ella or highlands you will have to take a local bus to Wellawaya and once there ride another heading to Matara. Once in Matara you will find several local buses that will drop you off at Ahangama. The duration this time will be longer, approximately 6 hours in total.

Ahangama along with Midigama were my best west coast discoveries in Sri Lanka. Most of the time I stayed in Midigama because I liked the relaxed living environment better, but I always went up to Ahangama to surf, buy food or socialize a little.

Let's say Ahangama is becoming a little more mainstream and prices have been rising at the same pace as its popularity. As a consequence of this effect, there are more and more bars and shops with Western character and prices.

I also visited Nets Coworking & Coliving to work on the blog and organize tours because in most hotels the Wi-Fi was terrible. If you are a digital nomad you have to stop by, they have daily passes and week passes and the prices were very competitive.

In short, I really enjoyed my time in Ahangama, and if I had to highlight something about it it would of course be the surfing. On the other hand, the modernization of the city is not something that gave me either a good or a bad impression. I took advantage of my time there to see the photography exhibition at Ceylon surfers and buy a couple of postcards.