Matara
Southern Province
About Matara
Matara, where the southern railway ends and the Nilwala river meets the sea, is a busy, confident city with Dutch colonial bones. Its showpiece is the Star Fort - a perfectly preserved, moated, six-pointed fortification built in 1765 after the Matara Rebellion, complete with drawbridge, wells, and the Dutch East India Company's insignia over the gate; it is the only fort of its shape in Sri Lanka. Across the river spreads the larger rampart of the main Dutch fort, its lanes lined with churches and old villas. Offshore, the tiny island temple of Paravi Duwa is reached by a footbridge over the surf, and the beach at Polhena, a few kilometres west, offers reef-sheltered swimming. Matara makes a natural base or lunch stop between Mirissa, Dondra lighthouse, and the wild beaches toward Tangalle.
Top Activities
- ✓Star Fort and museum visit
- ✓Main Dutch fort rampart walk
- ✓Paravi Duwa island temple footbridge
- ✓Polhena reef swimming
- ✓Coastal train ride to the end of the line
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
The Star Fort is small but exquisite - combine it with the main fort walk.
Ride the coastal train in from Galle or Weligama for the sea views.
Paravi Duwa is lovely at sunset when the footbridge catches the light.
Quick Info
Best Time
November to April
Weather
Warm year-round; driest November–April.
Estimated Daily Budget
5.9485°N, 80.5353°E
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