13 of the best beaches in Sri Lanka

Few visitors can complain about Sri Lanka’s tropical beaches.

Sprinkled along a 1340km (833-mile) coastline, its countless, topographically varied beaches, coves and bays attract sun seekers, fun lovers and surfers throughout the year. Wildlife plays its part too: beaches are vital nesting grounds for endangered marine turtles, while majestic blue whales gather a few miles offshore.

While Sri Lanka is a year-round destination, it’s on the receiving end of two opposing monsoons that affect the weather, ocean currents and when and where you should visit. Generally speaking, the southwest coast is best between November and April, the east from May to September.

Advertisement

As you start crafting your own itinerary, consider a stop at one (or a few) of these, the best beaches in Sri Lanka.

1. Unawatuna Beach

Most quintessential Sri Lanka beach

Some 6km (3¾ miles) from history-laden Galle, Unawatuna has seen much development in recent years – yet remains one of the most sought-after swimming beaches in Sri Lanka. Thanks to an offshore reef, its azure water is relatively calm for most of the year. Sun beds line the beach, Jet Skis buzz around the bay and – although things get busy during peak season – it never feels crowded. Unawatuna’s dining scene is sophisticated, while regular weekend beach parties continue the fun into the evening.

2. Dalawella Beach

Best beach for families

Just east of Unawatuna, much-photographed Frog Rock presides over Dalawella’s slender strip of sand. Also known as Wijeya Beach (after its most popular restaurant), the beach has an idyllic aqua-blue lagoon that’s protected by a reef, meaning you can swim or paddle here for much of the year. It’s a super spot for families, particularly as curious turtles often make an appearance.

3. Weligama Beach

Best beach for beginner surfers

Weligama’s crescent-shaped 2km (1¼-mile) bay has emerged as one of the best surfing beaches in Sri Lanka for beginners, thanks to a forgiving sandy-bottomed break. Even if you’ve never tried before, go ahead and rent boards and book lessons from the surf outfits to the west of the bay – most are run by young surfers with first-hand knowledge of the local breaks. Weligama’s fine sand attracts families, too, and there are plenty of places to eat, drink and sleep at every price range.

4. Kabalana Beach

Best beach for fine dining

Forming part of laid-back Ahangama’s hip surf-and-yoga scene, Kabalana feels like a quieter, more intimate alternative to Unawatuna or Weligama. Arrange surf lessons from beachfront restaurants, or rent a board for riding local breaks – the A-frame known as the Rock is rumored to be Sri Lanka’s best deep-reef break. After dark, the focus shifts to the excellent restaurants flanking busy Galle–Matara road.

5. Mirissa Beach

Best beach for a bayside stroll

Advertisement

Many of those descending upon Mirissa’s moon-shaped bay are here for the blue whales; boats depart daily during the season for half-day cruises, and sightings are good. Yet its appeal runs much deeper. You can snorkel in the bay east of Parrot Rock or surf its western reef break, take a yoga class or enjoy a scenic ramble, such as to Mirissa’s (not so) Secret Beach. Restaurants are plentiful, and evenings can be lively.

6. Hiriketiya Beach

Best beach for stylish amenities

Flanked by a pair of jungle-tangled headlands, Hiriketiya’s deep bay is a real showstopper. Discovered by sun-kissed surfers, it has a dramatic setting, a low-key atmosphere and year-round swimming that give it universal appeal. Hidden beneath coconut palms, the bay houses a chic collection of timber-frame restaurants, coffee shops, guesthouses and villas, stretching up and over the western hill en route to neighboring Dikwella’s vast sandy bay.

7. Bentota Beach

Best beach on the resort-packed west coast

Sri Lanka’s west coast is dominated by large package-holiday hotels that loom over fine stretches of sand. The best is Bentota, where the long honey-hued beach ends in a spit of sand separating the Indian Ocean from a big lagoon. A combination of water sports, decent swimming and lifeguards attract families, though there are no independent restaurants on the beach itself.

8. Kalkudah Beach

Best beach for solitude

If you’re craving development-free beaches, Kalkudah delivers. A profusion of coconut estates and cashew plantations back this idyllic east-coast beach, and though swimming is possible here, it can be treacherous out of season as the sea shelves deeply. Sleep in one of Karpaha Sands’ chic tents, or day-trip from the upmarket, resort-lined bay of Passekudah, 2km (1¼ miles) to the north.

9. Arugam Bay Beach

Best beach for surfing with a side of nature

East-coast A-Bay is a magnet for surfers. Best between May and September, the beach has a variety of evocatively named breaks – Whiskey Point, Peanut Farm, Crocodile Rock – in wild, unspoiled and sometimes hard-to-reach locations. Once the preserve of die-hard surfers and fishermen, Arugam Bay attracts budget-conscious sun-seekers looking to combine surfing with visits to deserted nearby beaches, historic temples and remote national parks (Kumana and Lahugala Kitulana).

10. Nilaveli Beach

Best beach for snorkeling and diving

Nilaveli, 13km (8 miles) north of Trincomalee, is a 4km-long (2½-mile-long) east-coast beach characterized by wide ivory sands, palmyra palms and roaming cattle. Between May and September, when the shallow ocean laps gently onto the beach, Nilaveli becomes Sri Lanka’s deep-sea diving and whale-watching hub. Just offshore lies Pigeon Island’s protected marine park: home to turtles and blacktip reef sharks, it’s one of the best sites for snorkeling and diving in the country.

11. Casuarina Beach

Best northern beach

Make it as far as the northernmost Jaffna peninsula, and the beaches get barren, windswept and remote. Many are deserted and offer little shade – so it’s no wonder that idyllic Casuarina Beach – named after the trees that fringe its sand – is so popular, despite the adventurous 40-minute cross-island drive from Jaffna. Casuarina tends to be busiest on weekends, with day-tripping family groups frolicking in the warm, shallow sea.

12. Kalpitiya Beach

Best beach for kitesurfing

Kalpitiya is a 35km (22-mile) peninsula that juts out from the northwest coast near Puttalam. Firs flank a beach that extends almost uninterrupted to the very tip of the peninsula, where there’s a ruined Dutch-era fort. To the east lies the vast Puttalam Lagoon, where the dancing sails of kitesurfers color the skies during the windier, off-season months of May to September.

13. Mawella Beach

Best beach for total relaxation

Mawella is a mesmerizing yet little-known south-coast beach. Its 2km (1¼-mile), curved bay is backed by just a handful of boutique hotels, villas and simple bungalows, nestled in palm-shaded grounds. Even though it’s just 7km (4¼ miles) from Tangalla, those in the know come here for a rare taste of southern escapism and plan to do very little at all. That said, the rolling waves are fun for bodyboarding, and the long beach is super for break-of-dawn runs.