Golden Sands  |  Turquoise Water

Sun in the sky  |  Cool drink in hand  |  Sand Castles

Laid back & Relaxing

An island with a beautiful coastline, beaches in Sri Lanka are steadily gaining popularity around the world. Although, relatively unknown till the recent past the number of pristine beaches are now filled with travelers. Each portion of the island has something unique and special to offer, such as kite-surfing and water sports, Whale watching, surfing, diving  and snorkeling. All of them offer a common theme and atmosphere: a beautiful beach, plenty of food and beverages, and music to relax in. So grab that cold beverage, lay back and relax!

Unawatuna

Unawatuna is one of the most popular beaches in Sri Lanka. Situated on the southern coast just off Galle, it continuously attract many admirers throughout the year. Among its highlights are its white beaches, turquoise colour water and stretch of beach restaurants.

Unawatuna

Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is also another popular beach on the west coast. Very popular among visitors, it offers good waves for surfers and coral reefs for snorkelers and divers. There are plenty on offer in and around Hikkaduwa that you can explore while you are there. An island temple, tsunami museum, and turtle sanctuary, and you have one of Sri Lanka’s best beach-holiday destinations.

Hikkaduwa

Bentota

Bentota is a resort town on Sri Lanka’s southwest coast. It is a well known tourist destination among both locals and foreigners. Among its attraction are the Bentota Beach, the sandy strip known as Paradise Island, coral-rich dive site Canoe Rock. Water sports are a favorite past time with many establishments offering jet-ski rides. Among other places of interest are the centuries-old Galapota Temple with its large Buddha statue. Southeast of Bentota is Lunuganga, the estate and gardens of architect Geoffrey Bawa.

Bentota

Mirissa

Mirissa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in the Matara District of the Southern Province. It is approximately 150 kilometres south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level. The beach, whale & dolphin watching tours and nightlife make it a popular tourist destination.

Mirissa

Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay, known locally as “Arugam Kudah”, is a bay situated on the Indian Ocean in the dry zone of Sri Lanka’s southeast coast, and a historic settlement of the ancient Batticaloa Territory. It is the premier destination for surfers looking to catch the next wave.

Arugam Bay

Nilaveli Beach

Nilaveli, is a coastal resort town and suburb of the Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka located 16 km northwest of the city of Trincomalee. It is famous for its untouched sandy coastline.

Kalpitiya

Kalpitiya is located in Puttalam district, North Western province of Sri Lanka. It is known for its natural environment. It consists of 14 islands. It has a total area of 16.73 km². The people of Kalpitiya are mostly fishermen. It is now developing as a tourist destination Kite surfing and .water sports.

Kalpitiya

Secret Beach

A secluded beach which it very popular among tourist but still not very crowed most of the time. The sea is protected by the surrounding rocks which keeps big swells away from this section of the beach. It is a nice and quite place to relax and get lost in tranquility.

Polhena (Turtle) Beach

Polhena beach is one of those places which is conveniently close to a popular destination but not overly crowded. Known for its resident turtle it is fine place to visit if you fancy swimming with there gently creatures.

Hiriketiya

A beautiful natural cove hidden in the southern coastline, Hiriketiya looks mouthwatering from all the aerial photography.

Points worth noting

Safety while swimming :

• Important to note, although most of the Sri Lankan beaches have small swells and are usually calm, drownings do occur. These are usually of visitors whom are neither good swimmers nor possess any basic knowledge regarding how to interpret the sea and its behavior. Regardless whether you are a skilled, the sea is unforgiving if you do the mistake of underestimating it.
• Most beaches popular beaches will have life-guards but they are in short supply. It is best to exercise caution and for family to stick together with their children at all times.
• A calm shallow bed will always look lighter in its colour, in contract sudden drops in depth and deeper water will be visually darker.  Be mindful of those light and dark interfaces in the water.
• Rip tides are strong currents that can pull and drag you away from the shore. Rip tides can be identified if you notice  a calm corridor of water in between wide areas of waves that break. Best avoid these areas or seek advice if you unsure. If you are caught in one, there is no point in swimming directly against the force of the current. One should not panic and try to stay afloat until they are dragged into a distance where the currents have weakened. Next step would be to  slowly make your way across the rip tide into an area (where waves break : either on your left or right). Then slowly swim towards the shore.
• Avoid swimming in choppy or rough seas. Sri Lankan seas are rough during the monsoon seasons.
• Do not enter the water under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Swimwear Etiquette and Culture :

• Sri Lankans are “mostly” used to revealing beachwear clothing when they are worn by tourists. One should not have a problem at popular beaches in the western and southern coastlines. That being said you will still attract the wondering eyes of conservatives, a drunken party or testosterone driven youths. Although, harassment is rare but prevalent, restrict your beachwear to the beach. Wearing bikinis or one-piece swimwear is not allowed up and about town areas. Things will get more weirder in more rural and undeveloped areas and its best to choose a more conservative approach in those areas. Ladies should make note to avoid travelling alone in secluded beaches regardless whether you are wearing revealing or conservative clothing.