Children on a back street of Arugam Bay

The point of Arugam Bay seen from the south along the beach by Crocodile Rock

Main Street of Arugam bay shortly after the 2004 tsunami.

Arugam Bay is situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka's South-East coast. The Bay is located 320 km due East of Colombo. It is a popular surfing and tourist destination. Many of the buildings were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami. Due to its popularity among tourists the area has managed a slow recovery by private initiatives only. The main road through town has not been repaved yet. No help has been received from any official source or International donations. An exception is uncoordinated support for fishing folk as well as many school rebuilding programs, sadly resulting in a contiuation to provide only separate schools for each Community. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1988x1536, 1082 KB) Summary Photo by Kanoa Withington. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1988x1536, 1082 KB) Summary Photo by Kanoa Withington. ... Location Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates , Government District Colombo Division, Colombo District Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Independent Group) Geographical characteristics Area     City 248 mi²/ 642 km²     Land   / km²     Water   / km² Demographics Population     City (2001) 647,100 ( 2001 census )     Density   3,305/km²   Metro 2,234,289 (Colombo... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...

The bay hosts a large fleet of fishing boats which operate off the beach. Many organizations donated boats after the tsunami and as a result there are far more fishing boats than ever before. The main beach is bit dirty as it is used as a garbage dump and a toilet by some locals. Nearby beaches are more esthetically pleasing and also have excellent waves. Arugam Surf Point has a very long, consistent, sectiony right hand break. There is excellent elephant viewing nearby as well as two types of monkeys wandering around the area.

The nearby (4 km) Muslim village of Pottuville is the center of commerce and transportation while tourist accommodations lie along the beach to the south of Pottuville. Arugam Bay is also the gateway and only access to the Yala East National Park.