Matara

160 km from Colombo. Nilwala river flows to the sea here. Polhena beach is the attraction in Matara. There is a good surfing point. Matara town offers most of the facilities such as banking, shopping, etc.

Star – Fort
The Star Fort built by Baron Van Eck in 1763 takes its name from the shape of the Fort, which is that of a six - pointed star. The idea behind the design was to ensure that its guns could cover approaches from all directions. Its gateway is decorated with the arms of the VOC.

Dondra Lighthouse
Just 5 km from Matara town. Dondra Head is the southernmost point of Sri Lanka. The 160 feet high lighthouse is located in a beautiful garden.

The Devundara Devalaya here is visited by travellers who pass Matara.

Weherahena Temple
Large Buddha statute is painted with very bright colors. There are hundreds of scenes painted to show the Buddha’s life. There are three underground storeys and there you can see the shrine room in which the walls are decorated with murals depicting Buddha’s life.