Beaches in and near Colombo

Mount Lavinia is the nearest thing to a proper swimming beach within reach of Colombo, about 12 km south of the centre and 25 minutes by train. Its Golden Mile of sand has lifeguards, hotels, pubs and seafood restaurants along it, and the surf is gentle enough for swimming and bodyboarding. It is where Colombo goes at the weekend.

Galle Face Green is a promenade rather than a beach: five hectares of open lawn along the seafront at Fort, with a narrow strip of sand below it. It faces west into the Indian Ocean, which makes it Colombo's sunset spot, and the evening crowd, kite sellers and isso vadai stalls are the reason to come. Not a swimming beach: the surf and the current are both strong.

Wellawatte is the city's most used stretch of sand, just behind the railway station of the same name on the southern edge of Colombo. A marine drive runs along it with restaurants, and there are rocks and shaded spots on the sand. Families picnic here at weekends and vendors sell seafood towards the southern end. Swimming is possible but the water is not clean.

Dehiwala sits between Wellawatte and Mount Lavinia on the southern coastal strip, with the railway line running along the back of it. It is a narrow working beach used mainly by residents and by fishing boats pulled up on the sand, with almost no facilities. Worth a walk along if you are heading south by train rather than a destination on its own.

Crow Island is on the northern edge of the city at the mouth of the Kelani River, and it is really a beach park: a public recreation ground with walking paths, play areas and a stretch of sand behind it. It is used by residents rather than visitors. The river mouth means the water is silty, so treat it as a park with a view of the sea.

Preethipura is a small stretch north of the city near Ragama, sheltered by rock beds that flatten the water, which is why it gets used for swimming lessons. It is quiet, with a few shacks and stalls and lifeguards at busier times. Better for wading and sitting than for a long swim, and it suits families and older visitors.

Panadura is the closest real swimming beach south of Colombo, 27 km down the coast and about 45 minutes by train. It is a working town rather than a resort, so the sand is used mostly by local families in the evening and there is almost no tourist infrastructure. Wide, flat and long enough to walk properly. Go for an easy half-day out of the city rather than a beach holiday.

Negombo sits 37 km north of Colombo and ten minutes from the airport, which makes it the standard first or last night in Sri Lanka. The beach runs for several kilometres behind a strip of hotels and restaurants, wide and brown-gold rather than white. The fishing fleet still works out of the lagoon end, and the morning fish market is the reason to be up early.

The northern end of the Negombo strip, quieter than the main beach and fronted by the older resort hotels. The water is calmer here than on most of the west coast, and the sunsets face straight out to sea. Same 37 km from Colombo and the same ten minutes from the airport, so it serves the same arrival-night purpose with rather less noise.

Bentota is 65 km south of Colombo, about 90 minutes on the expressway or two hours on the coastal train, and it is the first proper resort beach going south. A long stretch of golden sand sits between the sea and the Bentota river, and the river is where the watersports operate, from jet skis to mangrove safaris. Best as a family day trip or an easy overnight.

Hikkaduwa is 100 km south of Colombo and about two hours by expressway, far enough to be an overnight rather than a day trip. It built its name on surf and on the shallow coral sanctuary at the northern end, where turtles come close in to shore. The main strip is busier than Unawatuna and holds most of the nightlife on this coast. The reef has suffered, so temper expectations for snorkelling.

Unawatuna curves into a shallow bay 120 km south of Colombo, roughly two and a half hours by road, and it is the best known beach on the south coast. A headland shelters the bay so the water stays calm, which makes it one of the few genuinely easy swimming beaches in the country. It is crowded in season and the sand has narrowed over the years. Galle fort is fifteen minutes away.

A small cove on the far side of the Rumassala headland from Unawatuna, reached either by a twenty-minute walk over the hill or a short boat ride around it. The water is calm and clear, with rock and coral close in and forest running almost down to the sand. Being harder to reach keeps the numbers down on weekdays. Facilities are limited to a couple of stalls, so bring what you need.

Dalawella is the next bay south of Unawatuna, quieter, with a reef close to shore that forms natural pools calm enough to swim in when the open sea is rough. It is also where the rope swing sits, which is why it appears in more photographs than its size warrants. Mostly guesthouses and small hotels rather than a strip. About two and a half hours from Colombo.

Mihiripenna is the quietest of the Unawatuna cluster, a short way further south and largely undeveloped, with a handful of small places to stay behind the sand. A reef offshore flattens the water at the northern end. Come here if Unawatuna feels too busy and Dalawella too photographed. Roughly two and a half hours from Colombo on the expressway.