Top Beaches in Sri Lanka
As an island nation with amazing weather, there are as many wonderful beaches all around Sri Lanka as there are amazing rice and curry restaurants. From small and secluded to more tourist-friendly and busy there is pretty much a beach for everyone for anything from sun-baking, snorkelling, surfing or just a relaxing swim. If you are short on time, however, here are a few amazing Sri Lankan beaches that I personally loved.
Jungle Beach (Unawatuna)
Just a quick tuk-tuk ride from the more famous Unawatuna, this beach is perfect for a relaxing swim without the huge waves common at a lot of the more busy beaches. With a small bar and restaurant right on the sand, it is hard not to spend the whole day sipping a cocktail or beer at this secluded beach surrounded by wild palm trees. Popular with locals as well as tourists it feels like a different universe compared to Unawatuna. Hot top: don’t do what I did and step on a sea urchin and end up getting first aid from the lovely bartender.
How to get there: Although you could walk there from Unawatuna, Jungle Beach is a quick tuk-tuk ride from its more crowded cousin and even from Galle.
2. Nilaveli Beach
Less frequented by tourists then beaches in the south, Nilaveli Beach in Trincomalee is a gorgeous beach located in Sri Lanka’s mostly Hindu east where cows are just as common as dogs on the streets. Although you can simply just spend all day at Nilaveli t is worth taking a quick boat ride to Pigeon Island to spend a few hours snorkelling and exploring. If you do get bored of the ocean or end up a painful sunburn (like me), the ancient Hindu temple Koneswaram in Trincomalee is stunning and also boasts jaw-dropping views of the Indian Ocean.
How to get there: Nilaveli Beach is a 25-minute tuk-tuk ride from Trincomalee or about a six-hour drive from Colombo.
3. Weligama
Popular with surfers and the location of many of Sri Lanka’s most luxurious Weligama, which means Sandy Village, is also where you can find those famous stilt fishermen that flood Instagram. Although it looks a little worn down from the street Weligama is one of the most tranquil and less busy than most beaches in the south.
What sets Weligama apart from Sri Lanka’s other famous beaches, however, is Taprobane Island, a tiny island off the coast which features an amazing villa built by an exiled French aristocrat in the 1920s. Only accessible via a quick swim the private island is perfect for a half-day trip or as flashy private accommodation if you have the funds to splurge.
How to get there: From Colombo or Galle you can either take any southbound bus towards Matara or the train. Weligama is also easily accessible from Mirissa via local buses or a tuk-tuk.
4. Mirissa/Secret Beach Mirissa
This is the most tourist-friendly beach on the list and although it can be crowded at times, there is something exceptionally charming about Mirrissa. Popular with tourists and backpackers it is somehow kept it is small village feel even though the rampant development just north in Unawanta has started to spread and is probably the most Instagrammed beach in Sri Lanka as the home of Coconut Hill.
If the main beach is a bit crowded it is worth heading to Secret Beach Mirissa which is on the opposite side of the main beach from Coconut Hill. Although not really a secret anymore it is an extremely safe beach protected from large waves by rocks and perfect for relaxing especially with kids. Like most of the smaller, calmer beaches in Sri Lanka there a few restaurants and bars scattered around and you can rent a beach chair for a small price.
How to get there: If you are staying in town Mirissa’s main beach is either a quick walk or tuk-tuk ride from most accommodation in town. From Colombo, Mirissa can be reached by any southbound bus heading towards Matara or the scenic train from Colombo Fort to Weligama. Secret Beach Mirissa is a little more difficult to reach but can be reached by walking or tuk-tuk as well. From the main strip, it takes about 25 minutes to walk there although be warned it becomes a little steep once you get closer. The steep hill and the sharp drop down to the beach also means that taking a tuk-tuk or scooter can be a little tricker. Most tuk-tuk drivers will not go any further than the last fork in the road due to rocky and pretty unmanageable road after that unless you are willing to double the price of your ride.
5. Hiriketiya
With its bars selling vegan tacos, upscale spas and designer beach stores combined with large number of digital nomads, yogis and surfers, Hiriketiya could almost be Byron Bay if you squint at least. While this may seem like a Hiriketiya is a lovely, horseshoe shaped beach surrounded by jungle that is the perfect place for surfing, relaxing and swimming.
Due to the growing number of digital nomads in the area, it is also a chance to skip rice and curry for something less Sri Lankan, although no one really ever gets sick of rice and curry. As well as serving up the aforementioned vegan tacos, The Grove, run by an Australian couple, is a great place for a more Western style brunch including açai bowls and roti eggs benedict. Meanwhile, Dots Bay House, a gorgeous guesthouse right near beach, features a more upmarket version of the beach bars dotted across the Sri Lankan coast with delicious cocktails aplenty.
How to get there: From Mirissa jump onto a bus to Dikwella and from there either take another bus or tuk tuk to Hiriketiya. From Tangalle take a bus towards Colombo and walk from the Dodampahala Junction stop or take a 20 minute tuk tuk.
6. Goyambokka
Wide and sandy with gorgeous rocky outcrops, Goyambokka is a beautiful beach that is more off the radar than Hiriketiya and closer to Tangalle than Mirissa. Although the water can be a little rough the beach is quiet and the atmosphere is relaxed with only a few bars and a beach side, rustic spa scattered around. Think Club, a two storey bamboo shack located on the far end of the beach in what feels like a second, private beach, serves seafood straight off the boat as well as cocktails, fresh coconut milk and juices.
How to get there: From Tangalle take a bus towards Colombo such as the 32 and get off at Godellawela station or take a 10 minute tuk tok.