Kalpitiya: Kite Surfing, Dolphins and the Wild Northwest Coast

Kalpitiya sits on a narrow spit of land on the northwest coast, flanked by the Puttalam Lagoon on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other, and the wind that funnels through this geography makes it one of the finest kite surfing destinations in Asia. From May to October the thermal and sea winds deliver reliable conditions that the kiting community has been exploiting for over a decade.

The lagoon side is where learning and flat water freestyle happens: calm, warm, and relatively shallow water that is the ideal teaching environment. The ocean side delivers more power for experienced kiters who want longer runs and bigger air. Several kite schools operate in the area with both beginners and advanced instruction and the instructors know the conditions intimately.

The waters off Kalpitiya hold one of the largest resident spinner dolphin populations in the world. Boat trips to see them operate most mornings when conditions allow and the encounters are extraordinary: pods of several hundred dolphins at times, bow-riding the boat and leaping in the wake in a display that is simultaneously athletic and apparently joyful. Whale sharks also appear in these waters seasonally and snorkelling with them is occasionally possible.

The area remains significantly less developed than the south coast and the small eco-lodges and kite camps on the peninsula have a frontier quality that is increasingly rare in Sri Lankan tourism. Come here for the wind, the water, the dolphins, and the particular pleasure of being somewhere that has not yet been completely figured out.