Ranked among Sri Lanka's most accessible beach hotspots, Bentota is a breathtaking seaside hamlet close to Colombo. Home to some of the island's finest beaches and cultural points of interest, Bentota offers travellers a wide range of activities and attractions. From taking part in water sports to touring some of the spiritual highlights in the area, here's how to make a getaway to the beach hub an unforgettable experience.

Bentota - Image via Flickr

As the main reason that most tourists drive down to Bentota in the first place, spending time at Bentota Beach is essential to enjoying a vacation in the area. Occupying pride of place along the southern shoreline, Bentota Beach is calm and ideal for swimming activities while the beachfront itself is perfect for building sandcastles or engaging in a game of beach volleyball. While Bentota Beach may be a popular destination for local families and day trippers, the seaside never feels crowded or overrun with people even during the peak travel season from December to March.

Although taking part in a temple tour is not a part of most Bentota travel itineraries, culture buffs holidaying in the area should not miss the chance to visit these iconic Buddhist edifices. The Kande Viharaya Temple is perched on a hilltop in the interior of Bentota and is perhaps best known for its ancient frescoes dating back to the Kandyan period. Containing a treasured relic chamber, the compound is also famed for the mammoth Buddha sculpture occupying its inner sanctum. The historic Sapugoda Viharaya, which was built by none other than King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, is another religious point of interest worth visiting if only to marvel at its centuries-old murals and its Maraka Thorana.

While Bentota Beach offers travellers the chance to explore the coastline on sailing excursions, signing up for a river safari on the Madu River is also a must for first-time visitors. Located within the coastal city's mangrove forests, the wetlands and the endemic aquatic birds and wildlife found on the shores of the Madu River are what makes a river cruise on this particular body of water an enchanting prospect. The morning hours and the late afternoons are perfect for a river safari on the Madu River as the tree snakes, reptiles and birds occupying the periphery of the river are still active and visible. A pit stop at Cinnamon Island is another feature of most boat tours as the isle is a prime cinnamon cultivation site Down South.

Travellers based at Cinnamon Bentota Beach and other hotels will also find that water sports activities are some of the most rewarding things to do in Bentota, Sri Lanka. The rich marine life heritage of the Bentota coastline means that the beach hub is well-suited for snorkelling and scuba diving expeditions. Its underwater landscapes are not only teeming with colourful fish species but also different types of coral reefs. Wakeboarding is another popular water-bound activity in Bentota where the wind and water conditions are tailor-made for this particular water sport.

Considered one of the South Coast's finest horticultural attractions, the Brief Garden is the brainchild of Bevis Bawa, the philanthropic brother of Sri Lanka's celebrated architect, Geoffrey Bawa. Having once served as Bevis Bawa's charming country residence and garden, the enclave is now open to the public. Showcasing the proprietor's talent for landscaping and creating aesthetically pleasing outdoor spaces, the 20-acre property offers nature lovers the chance to enjoy vast grounds lined with striking design elements.

A holiday in Bentota would not be complete without a stopover at the Bentota Turtle Hatchery. As a conservation initiative aimed at saving sea turtle eggs from southern beaches, the hatchery safeguards the hatchlings reared from these eggs until they are mature enough to make the journey back to the ocean. Visitors can learn about the life cycle of sea turtles and even take part in hatchling-releasing activities or help the hatchery staff with egg-collecting missions on nearby beaches if they are interested in volunteering.