Unawatuna is one of the best beach resorts in Sri Lanka situated about 6km down the coast from Galle. With it’s sun drenched golden beaches and clear blue water, it’s a magnet for tourist visiting Sri Lanka and the sun worshippers. There are many small resorts built up around Unawatuna to accommodate these visitors.

Before it became a popular beach resort it was well known to people for its mystical and mythical roots. According to one legend it traces it’s roots to the epic Ramayanaya. In the epic, the monkey-warrior Hanuman was sent back to India to fetch the four medicinal herbs from the Himalayan Mountains to heal Lakshman who was wounded trying to save the abducted princess Sita from the demon king Ravana. However Hanuman failed to identify these herbs, so he lifted the entire mountain and carried it to the battlefield to try to save Lakshman, but in the process, a chunk of it "fell-down" in the location of the present day Unawatuna. The name is also derived from “onna wetuna” meaning “It Fell” which transformed to Unawatuna.

Unawatuna is a place of natural beauty and is rich in bio-diversity. There are more than 60 species of endemic birds, including Terns, Egrets, Herons, Sandpipers, Kingfishers and many more. Off the coast and under the waves there is another world of rich wonders. The Coral Reefs surrounding the area are home to many sea creatures including Sea Turtles. They still come to the shores of Unawatuna to lay their eggs. Important conservation work is done by the Turtle Hatchery at Kosgama to protect these endangered species from extinction.