Dikwella

Located just 14 miles from the Matara city, this small town has a stretch of a long sandy beach, which is protected by shoals, headlands, and reefs, making it perfect to go swimming. Because of its recent popularity, new hotels, restaurants, resorts have slowly been emerging, which is attracting tourists from all over the globe. One of the popular sites to explore here is the giant Buddha statue of 50 meters (160 feet) tall. Since the town is relatively small, all the attractions are reachable within a 20-minute walk. 

Things to do in Dikwella

1. Wewrukannala Buduraja Maha Viharaya: Located 1.5 km from Dikwella, Wewrukannala Buduraja Maha Viharaya is a 50 meter high seated Buddha statue - the largest in Sri Lanka. To get to the statue, one must go through a place called the hall of horrors featuring life-sized figures of sinners and demons. Some of the visuals of the punishments include figures being cut in half, dunked in a boiling cauldron and many others. 

2. Hummanaya Blowhole: A natural blowhole, Hummanaya Blowhole is recognized as the second-largest blowhole in the world. This activity is caused when the ocean water gushes through a submerged hollow and is pushed upwards. The water shoots up as high as 25 to 30 meters, every few minutes. The name Hummanaya is inspired because of the noise “hoo” that comes when the water rushes through the hollow. 

3. Dikwella Beach: Although not a famous beach, Dikwella Beach located in Dikwella town is renowned for its serenity and beauty that attracts visitors from all over the world. Along with this, there is also a Sunday market that gets quite crowded for its amazing deals on the products sold there.