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Elephant rock, Sri Lanka

Stay in Arugam Bay: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Arugam Bay

Watch this spot We email you when Elephant rock is worth the trip.

Arugam bay beach
Arugam Bay, the nearest town, 4 km away. Photo: Kondephy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Elephant rock

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces E (105°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (285°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 38). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 28°C in January, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in April, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually October and November, with about 3 good days in 7; in February, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Arugam Bay, 4.1 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 29°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 34 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to BTC, changing at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB).

    See flights ORD → BTC · Skyscanner from about £800 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 3 h 20 from the airport to Elephant rock.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Arugam BayAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Arugam Bay · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Arugam Bay · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Elephant rock on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct323 ft9 scrumbling97kJ31°C
Mon 19Oct383 ft9 scrumbling122kJ31°C
Tue 20Oct433 ft10 scrumbling147kJ30°C
Wed 21Oct423 ft10 scrumbling153kJ31°C
Thu 22Oct383 ft9 scrumbling95kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct292 ft7 smushy42kJ31°C
Sat 24Oct392 ft13 shollow173kJ31°C
Sun 25Oct372 ft12 scrumbling149kJ31°C
Mon 26Oct383 ft10 scrumbling127kJ30°C
Tue 27Oct292 ft8 smushy51kJ30°C
Wed 28Oct0––––

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to BTC, changing at DXB and CMB, then 3h 20 by road. About 34h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Elephant rock

    Best 08:30 to 11:30 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Arugam Bay

    Best 08:30 to 11:30 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 6 kn (10 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Arugam Bay

    Best 08:30 to 11:30 local time: 3 ft at 9 s, wind 2 kn (5 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Arugam Bay

    Best 17:30 to 20:30 local time: 3 ft at 7 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to BTC, changing at DXB and CMB, then 3h 20 by road. About 34h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Arugam Bay each day: Arugam Bay, Elephant rock, Peanuts Farm.

The trip from Arugam Bay, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,040–£2,075 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to BTC, estimated from distance and season, changing at DXB and CMB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£800–£1,655
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£30–£55
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£75–£125
Food7 days eating out£70–£125
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£30–£50
Total£1,040–£2,075

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Arugam Bay

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.