Half an hour’s drive east of Galle, Weligama Bay forms a conspicuous bite out of the Sri Lanka’s heavenly south coast, and one that has attracted surprisingly few visitors given the spectacular, golden sand beach that lines most of it. Spread around the bay, the town retains a traditional, workaday feel, with an atmospheric market area and lots of pretty, colonial-era villas sporting traditional wood-carved eaves. But it’s the rugged stretch of coast to the west we like best. Honeycombed with hidden coves, this coast serves as a great base for a holiday combining beach relaxation with wider-ranging cultural explorations.