Arugam Bay is a city in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
Arugam Bay is a bay situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's southeast coast. The bay is located 320 km due east of Colombo. It is a popular surfing and tourist destination. Many of the buildings were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami.
Since the 1960s Arugam Bay's main surf point has been the main attraction. It is a righthand reef break, famous for long, constituent runs up to 750 m.
- Surfing. Arugam Bay is Sri Lanka's most popular surf spot and one of the best in Asia. Many points exists, e.g. main point and baby point in Arugam Bay, Crocodile Rock, Panama, Okanda in the south, Whiskey Point in the north. Crocodile Rock is mainly used by beginners from sunrise on. Boards can be rented virtually everywhere, tuktuks are readily available to transport surfer and board to the points nearby. Board from Rs.500/half day, course Rs.4500/2 hr/2people.
- Tuk Tuk safari. Arugambay Tours offer tuk tuk safaris. They will drive through Yala East National Park, but not into the boundaries of the park. Along the street down to Panama and further on into the park you might spot monkey, elephants, crocodiles and many other animals. As with any game drive, spotting animals is based on luck, the season, time of the day, etc. Rs.3900 per tuk tuk.
Surfing. Arugam Bay is Sri Lanka's most popular surf spot and one of the best in Asia. Many points exists, e.g. main point and baby point in Arugam Bay, Crocodile Rock, Panama, Okanda in the south, Whiskey Point in the north. Crocodile Rock is mainly used by beginners from sunrise on. Boards can be rented virtually everywhere, tuktuks are readily available to transport surfer and board to the points nearby. Board from Rs.500/half day, course Rs.4500/2 hr/2people.
Tuk Tuk safari. Arugambay Tours offer tuk tuk safaris. They will drive through Yala East National Park, but not into the boundaries of the park. Along the street down to Panama and further on into the park you might spot monkey, elephants, crocodiles and many other animals. As with any game drive, spotting animals is based on luck, the season, time of the day, etc. Rs.3900 per tuk tuk.
The nearby market town of Pottuvil (4 km to the north) has the only proper, air-conditioned supermarket. A new branch of Cargill's Food City. Other small shops are in the Bay itself. The perhaps best equipped and stocked one is "Home Needs" in the centre of the Bay.
Most restaurants are either directly on the beach (such as Emma Restaurant or Friends Indeed) or on both sides on the main road. Many restaurants have their fish (e.g. tuna or marlin, without cooling) shown, but check twice if it is really fresh or from the day before.
There is no legal wine or liquor shop in or anywhere near Arugam Bay. Palmgrove Holiday Inn caters for local patrons and has a licensed bar. Meena's Beer Bar also, but is restricted to bottled beer only (no liquor). Opposite, part of the old Siam View Hotel, Asia's perhaps oldest MicroBrew Pub existed. They produced famous All Natural Arugam Bay Surfer's Beer on draft (only). Due to strict licensing laws their operation could not legally continue after the 2009 end of the 30 year war. Hideaway resort operates a secluded bar in their garden.
A bar close to Galaxy Lounge plays electronic music till sunrise every wednesday.
- Panama (13 km S) – Crocodile Tank and Radella Tank
- Kudumbigala Monastery (22 km S)
- Okanda (30 km S) - Kovil and Beach
- Kumana National Park (45 km S)
- Matara. One daily bus at 6AM. Rs.305, 7-8 hours. Arugam Bay bus stop is in the nearby town of Putuveli (3-5 km from most Arugam Bay guesthouses). Note that the bus does not start in Putuveli. When it arrives in Putuveli at 6:00-6:30AM, most seats are taken; you might have to stand for 1-2 hours until the people get off at the bigger towns.
- Batticaloa