Sri Lanka has countless beautiful beaches. In the east, you will find miles of empty sandy beach, and in the south, there are many cute bays, interspersed with large rocks. Some coastal towns are perfect if you want to (learn to) surf, other beaches are suitable for relaxing and other bays you have to visit for their nice hotspots and restaurants. In this guide, I will tell you everything about the seven most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka and which beaches the best suit for your trip.
Sri Lanka: the perfect beach destination!
With 1340 kilometres of coastline and a wonderful climate, Sri Lanka is the perfect beach destination! What do I say, I think the beaches of Sri Lanka are among the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen (with formidable competitors such as Bora Bora and Ile Sainte-Marie in Madagascar). The water is very clear and the beaches are golden coloured with nice and fine sand. Also cool are the palm trees that you see everywhere on the edges of the beach. They really make the Sri Lankan beaches a tropical paradise.
Hikkaduwa
As I had previously read from other blog posts, Hikkaduwa was supposed to be one the best towns in the south to socialize and spend some beach time. As it turned out though, the off-season (april-november) had taken its toll and the place was pretty quiet. Visiting Hikkaduwa at low season does not make it any worse though. Even though the scuba shops and many restaurants were closed there was still plenty to do. A small surf break seemed to be good for beginners and the long stretches of beach were pretty much empty for lazing around in the sun. The weather was perfect with no clouds and rain as well during my stay there. The sunsets on the beach made the days complete. During the night time, it was possible to see and experience a swim in the glowing ocean which is filled with small non-harmful jellyfish. I had only experienced it in Cambodia on Koh Ta Kiev before, where the sea lit up with phosphorescence (bioluminescent plankton) during the night time. It is truly an incredible feeling. Even though Hikkaduwa was a nice place to stay I was looking for more socializing and backpacker vibes since I had spent previous months travelling in countries which were a bit less popular among tourists.
In Hikkaduwa, I decided to rent a scooter for the rest of my stay in Sri Lanka aiming to discover the whole island with it. It turned out to be the right decision, I had an amazing time and managed to visit places that tourists normally do not have a chance to go to. More about renting a scooter in Sri Lanka will be already in one of the following blog posts.
MIRISSA & WELIGAMA
Another popular beach destination in the south is Mirissa. I stayed for a couple of nights in Mirissa at the end of my trip to Sri Lanka. As well as for other beforementioned beaches, Mirissa beach also hosts plenty of beach bars and restaurants. Besides the main beach, there is a Secret beach just a short walk away.
The long beach of Weligama right next to Mirissa is really popular for surfing. Each time I passed it, there were plenty of both beginners and more advanced surfers practising their skills. The beach is full of surf shops as well, so it really easy to just go, rent a board and head into the waves.
