Beaches in Sri Lanka

Bentota sits on the west coast about two hours south of Colombo airport, which is why it appears in almost every Sri Lanka package itinerary. The beach is wide and shallow with a river mouth at one end, so operators here run jet skis, banana boats, windsurfing and boat safaris up the Bentota Ganga. Best from December to April, when the southwest monsoon is off. Pick Bentota if you want water sports and resort comfort rather than a quiet stretch of sand.

Unawatuna is a curved bay 5 km south of Galle Fort, which makes it the easiest beach to pair with a day at the Fort. The bay is sheltered so the water is usually calm enough to swim, and the sand is backed by a solid line of restaurants, dive shops and guesthouses rather than large resorts. The Japanese Peace Pagoda sits on the headland at the west end, a twenty minute walk away. South coast, so December to April. It gets busy: come early if you want space.

Mirissa is Sri Lanka's whale watching port. Boats leave the harbour at the western end of the beach at around 6 am between November and April, looking for blue whales and sperm whales, with dolphins common on the same trips. The beach itself is a wide crescent with a rocky outcrop, Parrot Rock, that you can climb at low tide. There are bars along the sand and a livelier night scene than Unawatuna. South coast, best December to April.

Hikkaduwa is the closest of the south coast beach towns to Colombo, about two hours by expressway, and the one with the longest running party reputation. A shallow coral sanctuary sits directly offshore, so you can snorkel from the sand or take a glass bottom boat over it, and green turtles come in to feed at the northern end near Turtle Beach. The reef break suits improving surfers rather than beginners. Best December to April.

Known For : Crocodile Rock, Arugam Bay Arugam Bay Beach Elephant Rock, Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay on the southeast coast is Sri Lanka's best known surf town, and the one place on this list whose season is the opposite of the south: it works from May to September, when the southwest monsoon grooms the point break. Main Point is a long right hander for confident surfers, while Whiskey Point and Peanut Farm are gentler and better for lessons. It is roughly 320 km from Colombo, so plan several days rather than a day trip.

Best Time: April to September

10 Arugam Bay Attractions

Nilaveli is the headline beach north of Trincomalee: a long, flat stretch of pale sand with shallow water and almost no surf, which makes it one of the easier places in Sri Lanka to swim with children. Boats from the beach reach Pigeon Island National Park in about fifteen minutes, and the reef there is the best snorkelling on the east coast. East coast season, so May to September, when the south and west are wet.

Negombo is 10 km from Bandaranaike airport, which is its main advantage: it is where most Sri Lanka itineraries start or finish rather than a beach people travel to on its own. The sand runs for several kilometres behind a line of hotels, the water is calm, and the fish market and lagoon canals give you something to do on a half day. West coast, so December to April. Choose it for the first or last night, not for a week.

Mount Lavinia is Colombo's own beach, about 12 km south of Fort and twenty minutes away on the coastal train. The stretch known as the Golden Mile has lifeguards, a run of seafood restaurants set out on the sand and the colonial era Mount Lavinia Hotel on the headland above. Currents can be strong, so swim between the flags. It suits a spare afternoon in Colombo rather than a beach holiday. West coast: December to April.

Tangalle sits at the quiet end of the south coast, past the main run of surf towns, and is where the sand starts to feel empty. The main bay has a strong shore break and a steep shelf, so swimming is safer at the sheltered eastern end near the harbour than off the open beach. Rekawa, 10 km east, is a turtle nesting site where five species come ashore at night. December to April, and calmer than Mirissa in the same window.

Weligama Bay is a wide, shallow, sand bottomed bay with no reef across the middle, which is why it has become the standard place to take a first surf lesson in Sri Lanka. Boards and instructors line the beach and the whitewater rolls in gently for a long way. The name means sandy village. Taprobane, the small private island off the eastern end, is the local landmark. South coast, December to April. Stronger surfers move on to Midigama or Ahangama nearby.

Uppuveli is the nearer of Trincomalee's two beach villages, about 6 km north of town, and quieter than Nilaveli further up the coast. The sand is wide, the water shallow, and the village behind it runs to guesthouses and seafood grills rather than resorts. Whale and dolphin boats leave from Trincomalee harbour and Pigeon Island is a short drive north. East coast, so May to September. The northeast monsoon closes this coast from December to March.

Pasikuda, on the east coast north of Batticaloa, is a shallow bay you can wade into for several hundred metres, which makes it the safest swimming beach on this list for families with small children. It is also the most developed part of the east coast, with a line of large resorts along the sand, so it is the east coast option that most resembles a west coast package beach. Season is May to September.

Marble Beach sits inside an air force run recreation area south of Trincomalee, which is why it stays clean and largely unbuilt. The bay is enclosed by forested headlands, the water is flat and clear, and there are cabanas and kayaks to hire but no resorts or bars. There is a small entry fee and no walk in access, so take a tuk tuk or car. East coast, so May to September.

Hiriketiya is a small horseshoe cove near Dickwella, about 20 minutes from Tangalle, and the beach that has changed the south coast most in the last decade. It holds two waves in one bay: a mellow beach break in the middle for learners and a right point off the rocks for experienced surfers. Behind it sits a tight cluster of cafes, yoga shalas and small guesthouses. The cove is tiny, so it fills up fast. December to April.

Dalawella is the next cove east of Unawatuna and considerably quieter, with a reef running across the mouth of the bay that keeps the water flat and good for swimming. It is best known for the palm tree rope swing at the eastern end, one of the most photographed spots on the south coast, and for the natural rock pool that opens up at low tide. Walkable from Unawatuna in about 20 minutes. December to April.

Jungle Beach is a pair of small sandy coves on the Rumassala headland between Unawatuna and Galle, reached by a track through the trees or a ten minute tuk tuk ride. The water is calm and clear with rock at either end, which makes it one of the better shore snorkelling spots near Galle. It is small and has only a couple of shacks, so it feels crowded quickly. Go on a weekday morning. South coast: December to April.

Beruwala is the resort strip immediately north of Bentota and the older of the two, with a reef sheltering the bay so the water stays calm. It works as a cheaper base for the same west coast water sports and Bentota river trips, about 90 minutes from Colombo airport. The town has a long established Muslim community and the Kechimalai Mosque on the headland is its landmark. Season is December to April.

Kalpitiya is a peninsula on the northwest coast, about three hours north of Colombo, and it is a wind and water sports base rather than a lounging beach. The lagoon behind the sand spit is one of Asia's more reliable kitesurfing spots, with a strong wind season from May to September and a lighter one from December to March. Large dolphin pods gather offshore between November and April. Accommodation is spread out, so book a camp rather than expecting a beach strip.

Ahangama runs for several kilometres between Weligama and Koggala and has become the south coast's surf and remote work base, with more coffee roasteries and co working cafes than beach bars. The waves here break over reef rather than the sand bottom whitewater at Weligama, so it suits surfers who can already stand up. The stilt fishermen you see on Sri Lanka postcards are along this stretch. December to April.

Dickwella is a two kilometre bay on the south coast between Matara and Tangalle, partly protected by rock and reef, so it is one of the calmer places to swim on a coast that is mostly surf. The town is a working fishing town rather than a resort strip, and Wewurukannala Vihara just inland holds the largest seated Buddha statue in Sri Lanka. Hiriketiya cove is ten minutes away. December to April.

Polhena, on the edge of Matara, is protected by a coral reef that breaks the waves well offshore, leaving a shallow lagoon that stays waist deep for a long stretch. That makes it the standard choice for non swimmers and for snorkelling with green turtles, which come in to feed most mornings. It is a local beach rather than a tourist one, so facilities are basic. Go at low tide. South coast: December to April.

Induruwa is a long, largely undeveloped stretch just south of Bentota in Kalutara district, and it is the west coast option for people who want Bentota's position without its jet skis. The sea has a steeper shelf and a stronger current than Bentota, so it suits walking more than swimming. The Induruwa turtle hatchery on the main road releases hatchlings most evenings. December to April.

Galle Face Green is a half kilometre promenade along Colombo's seafront rather than a swimming beach: the shore below is rocky and the sea here is not safe to enter. It is worth an evening for the kite sellers and the isso wade and kottu stalls that set up at dusk, and for the sunset over the Indian Ocean. Free, open, and a ten minute walk from Fort. Pair it with Mount Lavinia if you want sand on the same trip.

Koggala is a long, open stretch between Ahangama and Unawatuna, backed by the Colombo to Matara railway line and far emptier than its neighbours. There is little shade and a strong shore break, so treat it as a walking and sunset beach rather than a swimming one. Koggala Lake with its island temples and the sea turtle hatchery are both a few minutes inland. South coast: December to April.

Kalkudah is the quieter half of the Kalkudah and Pasikuda pair on the east coast, about 35 km north of Batticaloa. Where Pasikuda has the resorts, Kalkudah is a long open bay with very little built along it, so bring what you need for the day. The name comes from the Tamil for stony bay. Waves are bigger here than in the sheltered Pasikuda bay next door. East coast season: May to September.

Best Time: May - September

Casuarina Beach is on Karainagar island, about 20 km from Jaffna and reached by causeway, and it is the only beach on this list in the far north. The water is shallow and flat a long way out, shaded in places by the casuarina trees it is named after, and there is next to no tourist infrastructure. Add it to a Jaffna trip rather than travelling for the beach alone. Driest from May to September.