Kalpitiya

Kalpitiya is in North Western Province, in Sri Lanka.

Kalpitiya is a small fishing town that is developing into a tourist center. It is known as a destination for kitesurfing, dolphin and whale watching and scuba diving. Kalpitiya peninsula is a 50 km long sandy strip which is home to many fishing or agricultural villages. Since the area is less developed than other famous beach towns in Sri Lanka, you can find empty wild beaches, sand dunes and mangroves.

There is a 8.2404879.763551 Bus Station.  (updated Jun 2026) in town. As of 2026 two bus routes terminate here: one to Colombo Fort (6 per day, 5½ hours) and one to Negombo (2 per day, 4 hours). There is no direct bus connection between Kalpitiya and Puttalam.

Kalpitiya is 165 km north from Colombo. You can get here by bus/car for about 2½ hours drive. The train runs from Colombo to Puttalam (4 hours), after you can take a three-wheeler (tuk–tuk). Also you can hire a taxi for Rs 17,000-20,000 (2022) from Negombo International Airport. The main road which goes through the whole peninsula provides a fast route.

Map of Kalpitiya

While you can walk around Kalpitiya itself, it is built on the lagoon side of the peninsula. To go to the beach, or anywhere out of town really, you'll need some wheels. The omnipresent three-wheelers (tuk-tuks) are a good bet, as long as you agree on a price before you get in. Ask at your hotel where you can hail one.

If you plan to get around with our own transport (a good idea), rent one elsewhere so you can drive to Kalpitiya. Otherwise, there are a handful of scooter and car rental shops in town.

• The old Dutch Fort and Dutch Church
• Dolphin and whale watching boat trips
• Unique sand dunes (Alankuda area)
• Tour the mangroves in the lagoon
• Wild donkeys roaming around
• Birdwatching
• Wilpattu national park is just across the water

• Kitesurfing. Huge empty lagoons with flat water and some waves. Seasons starts in May and lasts till September. There are a few kite trip destinations, but you will need a boat to reach them.
• Diving. There are several diving operators in Kalpitiya, or diving can be arranged by better hotels, sometimes you can arrange dive trip with help of Colombo operators. Diving season here is December to April.
• Dolphin and whale-watching. West of Kalpitiya, you can find megapods of dolphins most of the year, but tourist boats go from November to April only. The chance for large groups of dolphins is the best within Sri Lanka. The chance for whales is best in November or March/April.

There are kitesurfing schools operating:

• Kitesurfing lanka, ☏ +94 773 686 235. Kite school with accommodation, prices from €35. 
• Valampuri kite resort (valampuri resort), ☏ +94 776314144, [email protected]. Kite school accommodation, lessons, trips and rentals prices from €30. (updated Feb 2020)
• Kitekuda kite camp, ☏ +94 722232952. Kite camp, accommodation starts from €40. 
• Wind4Love Kite center Sri Lanka, ☏ +94 71 554 0305. Kite school with accommodation, prices from €29. 

The best souvenir from Kalpitiya is a bottle of arrack — local liquor 33% made from coconut, tastes like something between rum and whiskey. You can buy it from wine shops, price starts from Rs 900. Locals recommend DCSL brand arrack.

There bars only as part of the hotels, but you can buy arrack, wine or beer from wine stores (3 stores in Kalpitiya peninsula). Shops are closed by 21:00, so plan early.

There are many restaurants in the Kalpitiya town area and whole peninsula as well. Some of them offer high standards and quality, while others are very simple and cheap offering the local atmosphere.

Don't miss local street food egg or coconut roti, you can find it on every corner.

If you want to cook for yourself, there is a Carghill Food City supermarket in Norochcholai, half way up the peninsula.

Compared to the very tourist friendly Negombo and the down south, Kalpitiya is relatively under developed for tourism, but within last years it is to find comfortable accommodation in the whole Kalpitiya peninsula.

• Resthouse in the centre of Kalpitiya, Rs 2000 for 3-bed dorm. Restaurant with ok food. Near police station.
• Dolphin Eco View Lodge. Nice bungalow style resort on the Dutch Bay lagoon, price starts from US$35 double. 
• Ruwala Nature & Aventure Park Resort ([email protected]), Kalpitiya Road, Thihaliya, Eththale (on the way from Pulatam to Kalpitiya), ☏ +94 777 345 531, +94 777 530 542. The resort is a fusion of a rustic eco-retreat and adventure-park on the banks of the Puttlam lagoon. US$80 to 120. 
• 8.2478179.760221 Kalpitiya Guest House, Muhathuwaram Road, ☏ +94 71 836 3984. Lots of hammocks and opportunities to laze around. Dining area and cozy environment. Rs 1117.  (updated Jan 2021)
• 8.2351379.74842 Kite Bay Resort Kalpitiya, Sethawadiya, ☏ +94 76 540 4707. Kite lessons, island tours, snorkelling, dolphin watching available at this hostel-type place. Rs 3164.  (updated Jan 2021)
• 8.07317579.710372 Dune Towers (behind Christopher land), Alankuda Beach Rd (from Palavi-Kalpitiya main road turn west (towards Ocean) at Alankuda Junction), ☏ +94 767548946, [email protected]. Family-run boutique guesthouse opened from 2022 at the coastal sand dune in the middle of coconut estates. Offers rooms, meals, large garden, dolphin and whale watching, yoga lessons and retreats, mangrove boat trips, scuba diving, Wilpattu safari, beach volleyball, table tennis. US$20. (updated Jul 2022)