Best Beaches in Southern Sri Lanka: All 6 We Actually Swam At
Sri Lanka has 1,340 kilometres of coastline and I am going to tell you about roughly forty of them.
We spent 28 nights on the south coast and never left it, which means I cannot rank the whole country and I am not going to pretend otherwise. What I can do is tell you what six beaches between Hikkaduwa and Tangalle are actually like, because we swam at all of them.
The Best Beaches on Sri Lanka's South Coast
Hiriketiya if you only go to one. A horseshoe bay with jungle behind it that somehow has beginner surf, a real point break, food and nightlife all in one small stretch of sand.
1. Hiriketiya
Best overall, and it is not close.
One horseshoe bay near Dickwella, jungle running down to the sand, with a headland at each end. The shape is what makes it: the inside is sheltered and mellow enough to learn in, and there is a left-hand point off the far side for people who can actually surf.
There are beach bars directly on the sand, the kind you sit at for four hours. It is also the smallest place we stayed and had the best night out of the whole trip.
We gave it two nights, which was a mistake. The full Hiriketiya guide is here.
2. Hikkaduwa
Best sunsets in Sri Lanka, and I will argue about that.
We stayed here 14 nights and watched the sun go down over the water most evenings. The fishermen head out in outrigger canoes right as the light drops, so you get silhouettes on flat gold water that look staged and are not.
It is a long strip rather than a bay, with cafes sitting directly on the sand and proper surf. Very quiet, not much nightlife, which is exactly the point for some people and a dealbreaker for others. I rated it 8/10.
Baby turtles hatched on this beach while we were there. Twice, in a month, entirely by accident.
3. Turtle Beach, Talpe
Best free thing we did in Sri Lanka.
About 45 minutes on a scooter from Hikkaduwa, past Galle, at Talpe. Wild green turtles come into the shallows to feed and they are completely unbothered by people. I could not believe how many there were, or how clear the water was.
I ended up flipping my phone upside down and putting the camera under the surface, which turned out to be the best decision of the day.
Where to eat after: Roy's Cafe is at Dalawella, two minutes further on the scooter, right on the beach. There is a cafe dog also called Roy who put his head on my hip and stayed there for my entire lunch.
4. Mirissa
The one you have seen a photo of.
Coconut Tree Hill is here, that headland of tall palms over the water. Go at sunrise rather than sunset. We did sunset first and it was heaving. We came back just before six the next morning and there were two other people on the whole hill!
The beach itself is one of the nicer stretches on the coast, and Mirissa is busier than the towns either side of it, which cuts both ways.
5. Weligama
Best place on this coast to learn to surf, and the least pretty beach of the six.
I am going to be straight about that. The bay is a huge protected horseshoe with soft, forgiving waves and lessons on every corner, which makes it genuinely the best beginner setup we saw anywhere. But the sand itself is not the postcard, and the town is busier and noisier than Hiriketiya.
You base here for the position and the food rather than the beach. Everything about Weligama is here.
6. Mawella
The calmest water we swam in.
A wide, protected bay near Tangalle, ten minutes past Hiriketiya, and the last place we stayed. It is quiet in a way the surf towns are not, because there is barely anything on it.
If you want to end a trip somewhere that does nothing except be a beach, this is it.
Which Beach Should You Pick?
Scroll to see the full table →
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| The best all-rounder | Hiriketiya |
| Sunsets and quiet | Hikkaduwa |
| To learn to surf | Weligama |
| The photo | Mirissa, at sunrise |
| Wild turtles | Talpe |
| To do absolutely nothing | Mawella |
Where to Stay on the South Coast Beaches
Three bases cover all six beaches. Full breakdown with what we paid in where to stay on the south coast.
Salt House
Right in the middle of the bay, which in a place this size means you can walk to all of it. We ate breakfast here and it was one of the best meals of the trip.
Silvas Surf Home
Weligama is central to this whole stretch, with Mirissa and Ahangama both a short ride away. Staying somewhere set up for surfing makes the mornings much easier.
Amaroo Hikkaduwa
Directly on the sand at the beach with the best sunsets we saw, and 45 minutes from Turtle Beach on a scooter. Our favourite cafe in Sri Lanka turned out to be somewhere you can sleep.
Beaches We Did Not Get To
Being straight about the gaps, because this is a south coast list and not a Sri Lanka list.
Arugam Bay on the east coast, which is at its best May to September when the south is wet. Unawatuna, which we rode through rather than swam at. Trincomalee and the whole north east. And every beach on the west coast above Hikkaduwa.
If you are travelling between May and September, the south coast is in the southwest monsoon and you want the east instead. More on that here.
Still planning? Here is the best beach town on this coast and where to stay near each one.
FAQs About Sri Lanka's Beaches
Which is the best beach in southern Sri Lanka?
Hiriketiya, for me, by a distance. Best mix of swimming, surf, food and atmosphere in one small bay.
Where are the best sunsets in Sri Lanka?
Hikkaduwa. We watched them most nights for two weeks and never got bored.
Can you swim at Weligama?
Yes, and it is very safe because the bay is so protected. It is just not the prettiest sand on the coast.
Where can you see turtles in Sri Lanka?
Wild green turtles come into the shallows at Talpe, past Galle, about 45 minutes by scooter from Hikkaduwa. We also saw hatchlings twice, both times by chance.
When is the best time for the south coast beaches?
December to April. May to September is the southwest monsoon on this side.
Are Sri Lanka's beaches good for beginners learning to surf?
Very. Weligama is the obvious one, and the inside of Hiriketiya bay works too. From what we saw, almost every town on this coast has gentle waves and someone offering lessons.
Final Thoughts
Six beaches in one month, on one coast, and I still left with a list.
If you have limited time, do Hikkaduwa for the sunsets and Hiriketiya for everything else, with a sunrise trip to Mirissa in between. That is most of what makes this coast worth the flight, and our 14 night itinerary sets out how to fit it together.
Want your Sri Lanka itinerary planned in a couple of clicks?
Pick your towns, and it lays the days out from everywhere we actually went.
- Two lengths, five to seven days or the full fortnight
- Only places we actually went, never a generic list
- Every drive between the towns worked out for you
- Share it to your notes or send it to whoever you are travelling with
