A place to escape the crowds in Sri Lanka’s farthest south, Dondra is a beacon of tranquillity
- Temples, lighthouse, beach. See them in any order and you won’t be disappointed when you visit Dondra, at the southern tip of Sri Lanka
- Everything here is bright: the white sands, the blue of the Indian Ocean, the green curtain of trees fringing the beach. And there’s hardly a soul around
If you look at the map of the Indian subcontinent, Dondra appears as a tiny dot at its southernmost tip. Sail south from here, and you would reach no land mass before Antarctica.
Its an ideal place to tie up your boat and begin your exploration of Serendib (Island of Jewels), as Muslims called Sri Lanka.
Emerald vegetation, azure waters, and white sands define the beaches here. Colourful fishing boats and untouched nature provide postcard moments, but what makes the town special is its history, seen in its temples and the country’s oldest lighthouse.
Excavations have shown that Dondra was a place of human settlement in the 5th century BC, and it remained one of the most important places in Sri Lanka until the late 16th century. Its international trade prospered, and culture and religion thrived. The temples of Dondra were gilded and their towers covered with gems that glittered so much they could be seen by passing seafarers.
These ancient temples were demolished by the Portuguese in 1587 during a war with the Sinhala king Rajasinha 1, and today Dondra neither has gold nor jewels.