Puttalam Salterns
A patchwork of shallow salt pans along Puttalam Lagoon, where seawater is dried in the sun and salt is raked by hand into bright white heaps.
Puttalam has long been one of Sri Lanka's main salt producing areas. The shallow lagoon, strong sun and steady wind make it a perfect place to turn seawater into salt, and on the road into Kalpitiya you pass a huge patchwork of salt pans stretching towards the water.
The process is simple and very old. Lagoon water is let into a series of shallow ponds, where the sun and wind slowly evaporate it, and the water becomes saltier and saltier as it moves from pond to pond. When the salt crystals form, workers rake them up by hand into neat white heaps along the bunds, ready to be carried away. Depending on the light and the stage of drying, the ponds can look silver, pink or bright white.
For photographers, the salt pans are at their best in the early morning or late afternoon, when the light is soft, the water reflects the sky and the workers are often out raking. In the middle of the day, the glare can be blinding, so bring sunglasses. The busiest salt making season is during the dry months, when evaporation is fastest.
The salterns are working land, so stay on the road or the main bunds, and ask before walking onto the pans or photographing the workers. They are an easy stop on the drive from Puttalam to Kalpitiya, and they combine well with a lagoon boat trip or a visit to the Dutch Fort.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free to view from the road
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: 30 minutes
- Best time: Early morning or late afternoon, in the dry season
How to get there
Along the road from Puttalam to Kalpitiya, beside the lagoon. Easy to stop on the way to the peninsula.