10 Best Beaches in Sri Lanka

1. Wijaya Beach – Stunning Beach in Sri Lanka

Wijaya Beach in Unawatuna wins our favorite beach in Sri Lanka!

• Features: White-sand, hanging palm trees, crystal-clear water. Large rocks and a coral reef form a natural swimming pool.
• Season: December to April and July to September.
• Crowded: A little bit, but we always found space on the beach.
• Surfing: Not great, better for a relaxing dip.
• Best place for: Giant turtles (we spotted their little heads poking up above the water). 

Please note: We’ve recently heard that many visitors are treating the turtles poorly by getting too close for photos. Please remember that these are wild animals and should be left alone.

2. Mirissa Beach in Sri Lanka

Mirissa Beach is Sri Lanka’s most well-known beach; we loved this spot for snorkeling! (Read our favorite things to do in Mirissa).

• Length: 2 KM.
• Features: Find the great Parrot Rock in the middle. Because the rock is out at sea, we researched the tides to walk across safely.
• Season: November to April and August to October.
• Crowded: Quite popular. Parrot Rock is particularly busy at sunset. We recommend visiting at sunrise (if the tide permits) for a quieter viewing experience. 
• Surfing: Good surfing for all abilities to the right of Parrot Rock.
• Snorkeling: We found the best spot on the left side of the rock.

4. Hiriketiya Beach in Sri Lanka

Hiriketiya Beach, also known as Hiri Beach, is becoming increasingly famous for its waves. We heard from locals that it’s the new surfer’s paradise of Sri Lanka!

• Features: Horseshoe bay, dense palm tree forest, bohemian vibe. Lots of trendy places to eat where you can get a delicious brunch.
• Season: November to April (better for smaller, beginner waves). August to October (bigger waves for advanced surfers).
• Crowded: A little bit, especially with surfers from mid-morning. Arrive at sunrise for total tranquility.
• Surfing: One of the best for surfing in Sri Lanka! We recommend renting a board and or booking a lesson from one of the surf schools.

Tip: Dots is the best bar at Hiri Beach; we loved their evening parties with live music. You can also stay here (book your room here).

5. Trincomalee Beach

Trincomalee Beach and Nilaveli Beach are different from other beaches in Sri Lanka. We traveled off the beaten track on the East Coast to find these empty beaches, and it was worth it!

Trincomalee Beach

• Features: Great beach bars line the shore. We loved the bar beach swings!
• Season: February – August.
• Crowded: Busier than Nilaveli but still quiet.
• Surfing: Not ideal for surfing, as the water is shallow.
• Tip: We took some lovely photos of the colorful fishing boats and locals casting their nets.

Nilaveli Beach

Hire a motorbike, and just 10 minutes away, down a small sand track, you’ll find Nilaveli Beach.

• Features: Long white sand beach and shallow, crystal-blue water, and cows wandering slowly down the beach.
• Season: February – August.
• Crowded: Quiet. We walked to the far end of Nilaveli beach, and we didn’t see anyone, only cows and fish for our entire beach day!
• Surfing: Not ideal for surfing, as the water is shallow and clear. However, it’s perfect for swimming and snorkeling. We took a boat from here to Pigeon Island (10 minutes), where we enjoyed incredible snorkeling. Book this snorkeling tour from Uppuveli Beach.

Tip: We were visiting between March and August, which is when dolphins and whales migrate. An incredible sight!

6. Tangalle Beach

We found Tangalle a bit harder to reach as it’s dislocated from the usual Sri Lanka itinerary, but it’s so worth a visit!

• Location: A traditional fishing village hidden on the southeastern coast.
• Features: White sand beaches, surrounded by mangroves. When we were there, we noticed there were only a handful of visible resorts.
• Where to eat: We enjoyed some delicious, fresh seafood at Cactus Lounge Bar. The chargrilled prawns deserve a special mention!
• Season: November to April and May through October.
• Crowded: Very quiet, especially at Silent Beach, our favorite place in the area. Here is the exact location.
• Surfing: Due to the reef and rocks, Tangalle Beach experiences strong currents and large waves, making it unsuitable for swimming and surfing.

7. Koggala Beach

Koggala is a relatively unknown beach paradise in the deep Southwest of Sri Lanka, located between Unawatuna and Mirissa.

• Features: White sand, colorful fish, turtles, and even small sharks! Koggala also has a small rainforest reserve around a lake (close to the beach). Join a boat trip and discover mangroves, small islands, and wildlife.
• Tip: We watched the stilt fisherman working from The Fishers Sunset Bar (here is the location).
• Season: December to April and July to September.
• Crowded: Quiet; very few people here.
• Surfing: Good, better for advanced surfers (strong currents). We are beginners, so we didn’t take the risk. Quite windy, so also good for kitesurfing and windsurfing.

8. Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay, located on the east coast, is really the best of the Sri Lanka beaches for surfing. In fact, there are even international surf competitions now held here.

• Features: Wooden cabins, remote island feel, fantastic restaurants and bars close to the center (we loved the bohemian outdoor terraces). Blue Ocean Restaurant was our favorite for views (here’s the location).
• Best time to visit: April to September (when many surfers make Arugam their home). Some hotels will be closed outside of this time. We visited in March and we had mainly dry weather, and fewer crowds ;)
• Crowded: Popular in high-season.
• Surfing: Best waves of all the Sri Lankan beaches! We tried surfing here for the first time, and loved it! See availability for a beginner surf lesson in Arugam.

9. Unawatuna Beach

Our visit to Unawatuna village passed by in a haze of coconuts, good food, and refreshing morning swims!

• Features: Golden sand beach, sheltered bay, simple beach bars and restaurants. We found the best beach swing, hanging from a long palm tree on the beach. Search for Dream Cabana on Google Maps.
• Location: The beach is close to the town center (check out our favorite spot to eat: Lemongrass Cafe).
• Season: November to April.
• Crowded: Popular in high season, as this part of the south coast is very accessible from Colombo. However, it’s a wide beach, so we always found a spot to relax.
• Surfing: Possible but not great. The sheltered bay is better for swimming.

10. Hikkaduwa Beach

Hikkaduwa is the closest to Colombo, located on the west coast (we saw a fantastic sunset from here!). We hired a private driver to help us tour the west coast from Colombo, but you can also join a tour like this one, which stops at Hikkaduwa.

Book a local driver or tour Contact our friend Indi in Sri Lanka. We've had an amazing time with him and we're sure you'll love it too!

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• Features: Amazing coral reefs, shipwrecks, tropical fish, and large sharks. We were lucky and saw giant turtles swimming very close to the beach! Please always observe them from a distance to not cause stress. 
• Season: November to April
• Crowded: Yes, famous because of the turtles and its proximity to Colombo.
• Surfing: Great surfing! Excellent for snorkeling and diving, too.

Tip: If you’re staying at Hikkaduwa Beach overnight, stay a little bit out of town, as it’s really busy in the center.