Bentota & Madu River: Water Sports, Mangrove Boat Safaris & Turtle Hatcheries
- Embark on high-octane water sports including jet skiing, banana boating, and wakeboarding
- Cruise through 64 islands on a scenic Madu Ganga mangrove boat safari in Balapitiya
- Watch live artisanal cinnamon peeling demonstrations on historic Cinnamon Island
- Support newborn sea turtle conservation at ethical coastal turtle sanctuaries in Kosgoda
Bentota: Sri Lanka’s Premier Water Sports Playground
Located on the southwestern coastline just 65 km south of Colombo, Bentota is Sri Lanka’s undisputed water sports capital. Blessed with a unique geographical configuration—where the wide, tranquil waters of the Bentota River flow parallel to the Indian Ocean separated only by a narrow golden sandspit—Bentota offers calm inland waters for waterskiing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, and windsurfing year-round.
Madu Ganga Mangrove River Safari (Balapitiya)
Just a short drive south from Bentota lies the Madu River estuary—a complex coastal wetland ecosystem declared a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2003. Covering over 900 hectares with 64 individual mangrove islands, taking a motorized boat safari through the winding green mangrove tunnels is an unforgettable adventure.
Highlights of the Madu River Safari
- Mangrove Cave Tunnels: Boats weave through naturally arching mangrove roots where purple-faced langurs, monitor lizards, and blue kingfishers perch overhead.
- Cinnamon Island (Kurundu Doowa): Step onto an authentic island inhabited for generations by cinnamon farming families. Watch master craftsmen peel fresh Ceylon Cinnamon bark into fragrant quills using age-old hand tools.
- Fish Therapy Spas: Dip your feet into floating wooden enclosures where hundreds of doctor fish (Garra rufa) provide an invigorating, ticklish natural foot massage.
- Kothduwa Temple: A tranquil Buddhist temple situated entirely on an isolated island in the middle of the river.
Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project
Sri Lanka’s southwest beaches are globally vital nesting grounds for five of the world’s seven sea turtle species: the Green Turtle, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, and the colossal Leatherback. Community-based turtle hatcheries in Kosgoda collect eggs laid on vulnerable beaches, protect them from predators and poachers until they hatch, and release healthy baby turtle hatchlings into the ocean under the cover of night.
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