Beruwala City

Beruwala is a picturesque coastal town in Sri Lanka, renowned for its golden beaches, vibrant markets, and cultural heritage. Visitors can explore historic mosques, indulge in water sports, and savor local cuisine, making Beruwala a delightful destination that seamlessly blends relaxation and cultural exploration.

Things to do in Beruwla

Barberyn Island Lighthouse

The Barberyn Lighthouse in Beruwala is located on Barberyn Island; approximately half a mile offshore from the little town of Beruwala. This tiny 8 acre tropical island has hosted the lighthouse for over a century. Today, Barberyn Lighthouse is one of only four international lighthouses in Sri Lanka.

History

Barberyn Lighthouse was built by the British Colonials in 1889, to cope with the dangerous waters and underwater reefs in Beruwala that could rip out the bottoms of ships. The lighthouse was managed by the British Imperial Lighthouse Service.

After the country gained independence in 1948, the management was taken over by the Sri Lankan government. In 1969 the old dioptric apparatus produced by Chance Brothers was replace with a Pharos Marine PRB-21 sealed beam optic and drive pedestal rotating beacon. This made it one of the most modern lighthouses of the time. In 2000, technology caught up with the lighthouse and, a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) was installed and the Barberyn lighthouse was linked via a network with all the major lighthouses in the country.

In 2004, the Boxing Day Tsunami hit the island; but the lighthouse was not affected, escaping damage miraculously. Today Barberyn takes its stand as an international lighthouse that provides safe passage to thousands of sea vessels every year.

Things to See

Visitors are not allowed to enter the lighthouse, due to a fairly recent debacle where some people caused a lot of trouble after entering. However, one of the five lighthouse keepers will be happy to have a chat and explain how the lighthouse is operated.

There are a few ruins from the British era; some of which have large open windows with picture postcard-like views. When you wander the island you will also find an old abandoned well that supplied water for the inhabitants.

Amongst the structures still in use, is an old clay roofed hut. The hut was a bar for lighthouse keepers during the British era. Though no more top quality alcohol remains nowadays, the hut is still used as a place to socialize and have fun.

Barberyn is an island that is reminiscent of a tropical paradise, with its pretty 100 foot tall lighthouse, swaying palm trees, thick tropical foliage, and bright blue sea. There’s even a few ruins to give it an exciting aura of mystery. Hence, it’s a great place to picnic, have a nice swim and spend a relaxing day at. Since not many people take the effort to talk to the fishermen and negotiate a reasonable price to ferry them over; there are not many visitors disturbing the peace and quite of the island. If proper permission is obtained, you may even be able to camp out and spend a night or two.

【LK94009942: Barberyn Island Lighthouse. Text by Lakpura™. Images by Google, copyright(s) reserved by original authors.】

About Kalutara District

Kalutara is situated approximately 42km south of Colombo . Once a spice trading post, Kalutara was controlled variously by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. The town is famous for quality bamboo basket and mats and the most luscious mangosteens.

The 38-meter long Kalutara Bridge was built at the mouth of the Kalu Ganga River and serves as a major link between the country's Western and Southern border. At the southern end of the bridge lies the 3 stories-high Kalutara Vihara, a Buddhist temple built in the 1960s which holds the distinction of being the only stupa in the world that is hollow.

About Western Province

The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center. Western Province is divided into 3 main districts called Colombo (642 km²), Gampaha (1,386.6 km²) and Kalutara (1,606 km²) districts. As Sri Lanka's economic hub, all the major local and international corporations have their presence in the city and so do all the major designer and high street retailers, so be ready to indulge in some retail therapy in western province.

Having the highest population in the all the provinces, the almost all the premier educational institutions in the island are located in western province. Universities in the province include the University of Colombo, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Kelaniya, Open University, Sri Lanka, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and University of Moratuwa .Western province has the largest amount of schools in the country, which includes National, Provincial, Private and International schools.

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