Benthota is 62 km away from Colombo in Galle district. The beaches of Benthots offer plenty of water sports activities such as water-skiing and windsurfing. The best time for visiting Bentota is during October and April.Bentota is situated on the southern bank of the Bentota River mouth, at an elevation of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above the sea level. The name of the town is derived from a mythical story which claims a demon named 'Bem' ruled the tota or river bank.

Ten kilometers inland from Bentota is the Brief Garden. A scarcely controlled uproar of a garden out of The Jungle Book , the grounds are a dazzling spot to get lost. The house, which used to be the home of Bevis Bawa (Major Bevis Bawa (26 April 1909 – 18 September 1992) was a Sri Lankan artist. He was also one of the most renowned landscape architects in Sri Lanka and the Aide-de-camp to four Governors of Ceylon ) sibling of prestigious engineer Geoffrey Bawa, has a varied scope of work of art in plain view – from homoerotic model to a brilliant mural of Sri Lankan life in the style of Marc Chagall.