Puttalam District of Kalpitiya

Kalpitiya (Sinhala: Scs, romanized: Kalpitiya, Tamil: L, romanized: Karpiṭṭi) is a coastal town located in western region of, Puttalam District. The Kalpitiya peninsula consists of a total fourteen islands. It is developing as a tourist destination

Scholars identify the Sinhalese name "Kalapiti-Kuli which is mentioned in Sigiri graffiti as modern Kalpitiya [2] According to another theory, Kalpitiya is derived from the Tamil name Kalputti, stemming from the words kal meaning stone and putti meaning elevation.[3] The place was in ancient times also known as Arasadi, meaning in Tamil "place of Arasa tree".[4] The place was in colonial era known as Calpentyn.

Kalpitiya is located at the boarder of dry zone. Thanks to that it is still nicely green but has much less rain that the south of Sri Lanka. Usually the only rainy month is November, but it rarely rains whole the day. The best beach season is from December to April, which is also the best time for any marine activities like scuba diving, snorkelling or dolphin watching because the ocean is calm and waves are smallest. From May to September there is more wind which is mostly appreciated by kitesurfers and it also cools down the area.

It is now developing as a tourist destination. It has a marine sanctuary with a diversity of habitats ranging from bar reefs, flat coastal plains, saltpans, mangroves swamps, salt marshes and vast sand dune beaches. It provides nursing grounds for many species of fish and crustaceans. The coastal waters are also home to spinner, bottlenose and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and the elusive dugong.[7] The Sri Lankan government has now formulated a master plan for the development of tourism industry here.[8][9]

Alankuda is a stretch of beach in Kalpitiya that is home to a number of beach hotels.[10] The beach is a starting point for off-shore whale and dolphin watching in Kalpitiya and offers various water related activities which are available from November till the end of April. Alankuda is home to megapods (groups of more than one thousand) of dolphins.[10][11] Hotels and resorts here include Bar Reef Resort, Palagama Beach, Khomba House, Udekki, Dune Towers and Dolphin Beach Resort.[11]

Kitesurfing

Kalpitiya is known as being the best location for Kitesurfing in the country.[12][13] The summer kitesurfing season is from May to October during the south west monsoon while the winter season is from mid December to mid February during the north east monsoon. Kiteboard Tour Asia held a tour event in Kalpitiya in September 2017.[14]

Scuba DivingEdit

Indian Ocean around Kalpitiya peninsula is famous for it abundand marine life. You can go for dolphin or whale watching boat trips or you can do scuba diving in Kalpitiya. There is more than 20 world class dive sites of depths ranging from 12-20 meters accessible by boat from the shore. The dive sites offer mostly rocky and sand bottom which is home to many kinds of sting rays, moray eels, soft and hard coral, napoleon wrasse, shrimps, nudibranch, barracuda, fish schools and many more. The diving can be arranged via Kalpitiya dive centers or via some specialised hotels like Dune Towers operated by scuba diving family.

The season for scuba diving and dolphin and whale watching is from November to April each year. During these month the sea is very calm and it allows easy and safe boat trips into the Indian Ocean. Details of dive sites, recent diving reports and other useful information can be found on Dive Report.

History

Records going far back reveal that the peninsula was associated with maritime trade and smuggling escapades since ancient times. It was first colonised by the Portuguese in early 17th Century. The arrival of the Dutch eventually resulted in the ousting of the Portuguese from here and elsewhere in the island. Historical records show that during the Dutch period of the island's colonial history, the northern end of the peninsula was used as a strategic base for a military garrison and naval outpost to monopolise trade supplies to the mainland. A well preserved Dutch-era fort (incorporating an earlier Portuguese- era church) occupied by the Sri Lanka Navy, and a Dutch church remain today. Nearby at Talawila to the south, a vibrant annual festival keeps alive its Portuguese heritage, at the ancient St Anne's church festival, when thousands of Catholic devotees descend upon the tiny village to celebrate St Anne's Day on July 26,[6]