If you’re looking for a relatively untouched beach getaway with your family, you can’t beat Sri Lanka for unspoilt white sands, gloriously warm water and idyllic beaches that stretch for miles around its southern coastline. We’ve spent weeks shuttling up and down the Sri Lankan coast to bring you our definitive list of the best beaches in Sri Lanka.
Weligama Beach
If you’re planning to travel but are undecided on where to base yourself during a trip to Sri Lanka’s southern province, you can’t go wrong with Weligama. It’s located almost in the centre of all of the beaches mentioned in this article, so you’re able to get to all of them within an hour or less (give or take).
Like many of the beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka, it’s very, very long. On one end, you’ll find the Marriott Hotel (which stands out like a sore thumb on the Sri Lankan coast, amongst rustic beach huts and boutique hotels) and on the other you’ll find the famous Taprobane Island.
Weligama is one of the best beaches to learn to surf on and you’ll find dozens of surf schools lined along the beach, ready to rent you a board or give you a personal surfing lesson.
Be sure to check out the fish market for lunch, where the fishermen sell their catch of the day and BBQ it for you directly on the beach.
Madiha Beach
The only beach so good we decided to go back a second time on the same trip. If you’re looking for the the best beaches in Sri Lanka, Madiha is one of your best options. This paradise beach is small and isolated, meaning none of the swathes of tourists you’re likely to find at the other beaches on this list.
There is a reef about 50 metres off the shore, which means the rough waves are broken up before reaching the shoreline, resulting in crystal clear, quiet water for you and your family to float around in.
There is an excellent restaurant directly on the beach, although it’s definitely worth checking out The Doctor’s House across the road from Madiha beach. The Doctor’s House is priced squarely at tourists, but the food is fresh and delicious and well worth a visit. Wednesdays and Saturdays are when it really kicks off with markets and live music, but any other day you’ll enjoy lounging around in their comfortable, shady seats, eating poké and drinking freshly squeezed fruit juice.
If you’re going to spend any time on Madiha, grab a sun lounger (they’re free if you order drinks from the restaurant) and hire yourself a snorkel for the day.
Hikkaduwa Beach
The first beach I ever visited in Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwa has a special place in my heart. Hikkaduwa beach strikes a perfect balance between maintaining its ramshackle surf shack ethos, while catering for a westernised tourist crowd.
The beach is very, very long (I still haven’t explored it in it’s entirety), so has something to cater for everyone. Whether you’re interested in surfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, drinks and dinner on the beach or just want to lay yourself down and soak up some sun, Hikkaduwa beach has something to offer. The entire length of beach is lined with restaurants selling delicious and affordable Sri Lankan food.
Unawatatuna Beach
Unawatuna often makes it onto lists of the best beaches in Sri Lanka, but I have to admit I wasn’t a fan. It was certainly beautiful, as most beaches in Sri Lanka are. But it seemed very touristy, with overpriced restaurants and bars along the beach.
I would recommend you check out Unawatuna beach for a day if you’re in the Galle or Weligama area, but I wouldn’t advise you make Unawatuna your base in Sri Lanka.
If you are planning on visiting, a highlight for me was the Unawatuna beach road, just behind the beach. Coffee shops like Funky Cafe during the afternoon and restaurants like La Luna in the evening are, comparatively speaking, priced for tourists but definitely worth a visit.
Mirissa Beach
Probably one of the more westernised and tourist-centric beaches in Sri Lanka, Mirissa beach is beautiful and definitely worth a visit. Fine white sandy beaches, gentle waves and a vast selection of beach bars and restaurants make Mirissa beach one of the prime attractions on the Sri Lankan south coast.
Be sure to check out Zephyr Restaurant for lunch or dinner (probably the best two meals I had in Sri Lanka were here) and keep an eye out in the evenings for turtles laying eggs on the beach.
