Unawatuna

Our first hostel is based in Unawatuna, a beautiful beach town combining stunning scenery, exciting activities and an abundance of excellent food and drink venues

Discover Unawatuna!

Monkeys outside the hostel- The Rockstel Unawatuna - Hostel in Unawatuna, South Sri Lanka

IN THE JUNGLE

The Rockstel Unawatuna is conveniently located in the magic jungle where you can even see monkeys and monitor lizards from your balcony

Trust us, at the beach you will miss these natural surroundings! And also the peace and quiet just away from the main touristic areas, which you easily reach from here.

Galle sunset- The Rockstel Unawatuna - Hostel in Unawatuna, South Sri Lanka

Popular Locations

Picture of Galle Fort Sunset

Despite being surrounded by an array of other popular locations, in recent years Unawatuna has been growing rapidly in popularity amongst travellers for its fabulous environment and range of activities. Stay at The Rockstel Unawatuna and find out why.

Unawatuna Beach
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Voted in 2013 by CNN as one of the world’s top 100 beaches, Unawatuna is a beautiful stretch of sand lined with beachfront cafes and restaurants and boasting a variety of different activities such as jet-skis and snorkel trips. Boasting beautiful sunsets and relaxed vibes during the day, and with a growing party scene, this beach will suit all your needs.

Food & Shops

The entrance from the main road winds through the surrounding jungle, wander and get lost in the variety of shops and restaurants on your way to the beach. But don´t spend your whole day shopping and eating as the beach is not worth missing.

Devol Devalaya Temple

Let your curiosity take you to the far end of the beach and there you´ll find the Buddhist Unawatuna Devol Devalaya temple, an amazing temple nestled in the hills, don´t forget to take off your shoes as this is a Buddhist temple! And more importantly don´t turn your back towards the Buddha, we all know you love selfies, but it was a bit after his time! Respecting the local religions and traditions is a must.

Dewata Beach
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The closest beach to us, the Beach of Bonavista – known locally as “Dewata” beach

The Rockstel Unawatuna - Hostel in Unawatuna, South Sri Lanka - Best hostel in Unawatuna - Surf in Sri Lanka Dewata Beach lifestyle chilling

SURF & RELAX

Dewata Beach is a picturesque sandy bay with a number of beach bars, restaurants and surf schools who offer surfing lessons for all ability levels for 3000 rupees and cheap board hire. If you´re in luck, some of the staff at The Rockstel Unawatuna will be available to teach you the basics and save you some cash! The beach is a 20 minute walk, a 200 rupee tuk tuk ride or just a short bus ride from The Rockstel.

Jungle Beach
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The most stunning and secret beach in The Rockstel area, just 50 meters long located only 2.9 kilometres from our hostel.

Escape from the crowd and enjoy a bit of trekking to get to this beautiful beach. Palm trees right down to the sand and views of Galle Fort await you.

To reach Jungle Beach from The Rockstel Unawatuna you can easily go on foot or by tuk tuk! And if you choose the first option don’t forget your bottle of water! Remember that Jungle Beach is on the other side of the hill so all the slopes you go up you´ll have to go down and this can get pretty exhausting. But the experience in Jungle Beach is worth it.

In the water you´ll find some rocks but definitely the serenity of Jungle Beach has no competitors. Although during the season is easy to find a crowd eager to get a tan. On the contrary, in off season you’ll really enjoy of the calmness of this popular spot, hidden behind the hills.
And while you´re there, you can check out the nearby Japanese Peace Pagoda hidden in the jungle on the way.

Japanese Peace Pagoda
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There is no better time than now to visit this wonder of the South Coast, the hidden Japanese Peace Pagoda is at the top of the jungle hills in between Unawatuna beach and the Jungle beach itself.

Finished on the 23rd February 2004, the peace pagoda was a gift from the Japanese to the Sri Lankan people after the tsunami they experienced. It was built after the horrific events to show the Japanese protection of Sri Lankan Buddhist culture, so visit today and learn about true Buddhist culture. You can either trek or take a tuk tuk (even they will struggle) to the top of the hills to see this beauty.

Delawella Beach
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Great Pictures & Good Memories

DELLAWELLA

Dellawella beach is known for its Instagram famous swing with jaw dropping sunsets in the background. So do you need a new profile picture? Or just go to enjoy long walks on the beach enjoying locally grown coconuts and other delicacies then afterwards to cool off enjoy swimming with turtles.

KOGALLA

Near to Delawella is Kogalla, where there is another great photo opportunity, you can see the famous stilt fisherman standing high above the waves catching fish while keeping their feet dry! And if you´re brave you can make the climb and join the fishermen!

Galle
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Your hostel in Unawatuna is officially based in Galle district, don’t forget it!

GALLE

Galle, a major city in Sri Lanka, is just 10 minutes by local bus (a mere 20 rupees). Make sure to wander the streets exploring the spice markets and if you feel like having an authentic experience visit the fish markets too. Galle Town shows a truly Sri Lankan rhythm which you´ll be able take part in yourself.

While exploring admire dozens of colonial-era buildings within the Galle Fort, more importantly walk the walls of its UNESCO listed Dutch fort at sunset for a beautiful hour or so walk. Explore the vast history of the Dutch fort, as it has a very interesting past from the colonial era, originally having been constructed by the Portuguese and updated by the Dutch. If all this exploring gets you sweaty, there´s a small beach right next to the Galle Lighthouse to cool you down.

Alternatively take our hostels run guided tour of Galle and explore more in depth the heritage of the fort and the city. Having such a great heritage, the guided tour run by The Rockstel Unawatuna will show you the vastness of Sri Lankan culture, including mosques, churches and temples.

And if you´re lucky, there´ll be a cricket match on at Galle Stadium and you´ll see why Sri Lankans are so passionate about this sport.