Mirissa
The delightful sandy beach of Mirissa was once a well-kept secret, but not surprisingly, more guesthouses, inns and bungalows are now opening up to visitors. Mirissa boasts a safe, gently sloping beach where the sea is free from rocks, with coconut palms growing right to the edge of the sand as if in imitation of a postcard of the perfect tropical beach. (more…)

Arugambay
Arugam Bay, often referred to as one of the best kept secrets on the island and rated as one of the top ten surf points in the world by the international surfing community – touted as 4th best in South East Asia -, comes into its own as a surfing destination from May to September.  Visitors are rewarded with cinnamon sands, clear blue skies and two-metre waves that provide a 400-metre-long ride. (more…)

Negombo The long-established beach resorts at Negombo — north of Colombo and conveniently close to the international airport — offer the opportunity of discovering a historic town with the remains of an ancient fort, many lovely old Catholic churches and Dutch-built canals, and of seeing the local fishermen in their outrigger canoes in the tranquil lagoon behind the beach. (more…)

Beruwala & Bentota
The wide Bentota River separates the sandy beaches, restaurants and bars of Beruwala from the adjacent resorts of Bentota. Most of the resorts in Bentota and Beruwela have been upgraded recently, with spas added to meet the demand for relaxing ayurvedic massage and other health and beauty treatments. (more…)

Pasikuda & Kalkuda Kalkuda and Pasikuda are two pristine, untouched beaches in the East coast of Sri Lanka. Their white sands, calm waters and sheer beauty remain unrivalled. Close to the town of Batticloa, both the beaches are expected to become international hotspots, as more people discover the charming beauty of this paradisiacal beach. (more…)

Thangalle
Many people claim that the beaches around Tangalle have the softest sand and the safest sea along the entire south coast. Tangalle seems set to become the most exclusive of the beaches along the south coast, and offers a chance to scuba dive around the coral reef protecting its four kilometres of sandy beach, and to explore a couple of wrecks. You could also watch nesting marine turtles drag themselves ashore at night to lay their eggs at Rekwalla. (more…)

Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa, almost 100 kilometres south of Colombo, has long been known as Sri Lanka’s most popular beach resort, famed for its surf and coral reef as well as its wide range of accommodation, food, fun and shopping. This is perhaps the only coastal region where that special holiday feeling dominates town, with shops selling resort wear, renting out bicycles, offering courses in scuba diving and selling all kinds of local souvenirs, batik fabric and jewellery. (more…)

Trincomalee
Trincomalee, with its magnificent deep harbour, has for centuries been a magnet for merchants, adventurers and colonists. Although the town offers a number of interesting attractions, including a fort and the famous Hindu temple on a rock promontory above the sea, most visitors head for the legendary Nilaveli Beach, or the far less developed, though equally lovely, beach of Uppaveli. (more…)

Kosgoda
Fishermen and visitors in search of the perfect beach holiday aren’t the only creatures on the beaches of the southwest. Marine turtles come ashore at night to laboriously dig a hole and lay their eggs, covering them up before heading back to sea, leaving the eggs to hatch some 50-60 days later. To avoid the eggs being taken by predators, several private turtle hatcheries have been set up along the coast, perhaps the best known being at Kosgoda, a little to the south of Bentota. (more…)