Dondra Head, about 6 kilometres east of Matara, is the southernmost point of Sri Lanka and therefore — depending on how you look at it — the southernmost point of South Asia before you hit Antarctica. The headland is marked by a tall British-era lighthouse, still operating and painted white against the blue sky. There is a small Vishnu temple here as well, the Dondra Devalaya, which was once one of the most important Hindu temples on the island before it was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries.
Getting there from Matara is easy — tuk-tuks and buses make the short journey regularly. The headland itself has little infrastructure beyond the lighthouse and temple, but the walk around the rocky point and the views out to sea — knowing that the next significant landmass in this direction is thousands of kilometres south — give it a quiet appeal that repays the short detour.