13 of the best beaches in Sri Lanka

Few visitors can complain about Sri Lanka’s tropical beaches.

Sprinkled along the 1340km coastline, topographically varied coves and bays attract sunseekers and surfers throughout the year. Wildlife plays its part too: beaches are vital nesting grounds for endangered marine turtles, while majestic blue whales gather offshore.

While Sri Lanka is a year-round destination, it’s on the receiving end of two opposing monsoons that affect the weather, ocean currents and where you should visit. Generally, the southwest coast is best between November and April, the east from May to September.

Consider a stop at one (or a few) of these 13 of the best beaches in Sri Lanka.

1. Unawatuna Beach

Best beach overall

Some 6km from history-laden Galle, Unawatuna has seen much development in recent years, yet remains one of the most sought-after swimming beaches in Sri Lanka. Thanks to an offshore reef, the azure water is relatively calm most of the year. Sun beds line the beach, Jet Skis buzz around the bay, and although things get busy during peak season, it never feels crowded.

Planning tip: Unawatuna’s dining scene is sophisticated, while regular weekend beach parties continue the fun into the evening.

2. Dalawella Beach

Best beach for families

Just east of Unawatuna, the much-photographed Frog Rock presides over Dalawella’s slender strip of sand. Also known as Wijaya Beach (after its most popular restaurant), the beach has an aqua lagoon that’s protected by a reef, meaning you can swim or paddleboard here for much of the year. It’s a super spot for families, particularly since curious turtles often make an appearance.

Planning tip: Always respect beach closures and restrictions during the turtles’ nesting season.

3. Weligama Beach

Best beach for beginner surfers

Weligama’s crescent-shaped 2km bay has emerged as one of the best surfing beaches in Sri Lanka for beginners, courtesy of its forgiving sandy-bottomed break. Even if you’ve never tried to surf before, go ahead and rent a board and book a lesson from one of the surf outfits to the west of the bay – most are run by young surfers with first-hand knowledge of the breaks.

Planning tip: Weligama’s fine sand attracts families, too, and there are plenty of places to eat, drink and sleep at every price range.

4. Kabalana Beach

Best beach for fine dining

Forming part of laid-back Ahangama’s hip surf and yoga scene, Kabalana feels like a quieter, more intimate alternative to Unawatuna or Weligama. Arrange surf lessons from beachfront restaurants, or rent a board for riding local breaks; the A-frame known as the Rock is rumored to be Sri Lanka’s best deep-reef break. After dark, the focus shifts to the excellent restaurants flanking the busy Galle-Matara road.

5. Mirissa Beach

Best beach for whale watching

Many of those who descend upon Mirissa’s moon-shaped bay are here for the blue whales; boats depart daily during the season for half-day cruises, and sightings are good. Yet its appeal runs much deeper. You can snorkel in the bay east of Parrot Rock or surf its western reef break, or take a yoga class or enjoy a scenic ramble, such as to Mirissa’s (not so) Secret Beach. Restaurants are plentiful, and evenings can be lively.

6. Hiriketiya Beach

Best beach for amenities

Hiriketiya’s deep bay, flanked by a pair of jungle-tangled headlands, is a real showstopper. Discovered by sun-kissed surfers, the beach has a dramatic setting, a low-key atmosphere and year-round swimming – giving it universal appeal. Hidden beneath the coconut palms is a chic collection of timber-frame restaurants, coffee shops, guesthouses and villas, stretching up and over the western hill en route to neighboring Dikwella’s vast sandy bay.

7. Bentota Beach

Best beach on the west coast

Sri Lanka’s west coast beaches are dominated by the large package-holiday hotels that loom over fine stretches of sand. The best is Bentota, where a long honey-hued beach ends in a spit of sand separating the Indian Ocean from a big lagoon. A combination of water sports, decent swimming and lifeguards attracts families, though there are no independent restaurants on the beach itself.

8. Kalkudah Beach

Best quiet beach on the east coast

If you’re craving development-free beaches, Kalkudah delivers. A profusion of coconut estates and cashew farms back this idyllic east coast beach, and though swimming is possible here, it can be treacherous out of season as the sea shelves deeply.

Planning tip: Sleep in one of Karpaha Sands’ tents, or do a day trip from the upmarket, resort-lined bay at Passekudah Beach, 2km to the north.

9. Arugam Bay Beach

Best beach for surfing

The Arugam Bay surfing season is best between May and September. The east coast beach has a variety of evocatively named breaks – Whiskey Point, Peanut Farm, Crocodile Rock – in wild, unspoiled and sometimes hard-to-reach locations. Once the preserve of die-hard surfers and fishers, Arugam Bay attracts budget-conscious sunseekers looking to combine a Sri Lankan surfing beach with visits to ancient sites and remote national parks (Kumana and Lahugala Kitulana).

10. Nilaveli Beach

Best beach for snorkeling and diving

Nilaveli, 13km north of Trincomalee, is a 4km-long east coast beach characterized by wide ivory sands, palmyra palms and roaming cattle. Between May and September, when the shallow ocean laps gently onto the beach, Nilaveli becomes Sri Lanka’s deep-sea diving and whale-watching hub. Just offshore lies Pigeon Island’s protected marine park: home to turtles and blacktip reef sharks, it’s one of the best sites in Sri Lanka for snorkeling and diving. 

Planning tip: Be patient with beach closures, especially when the turtles are nesting in the sand.

11. Casuarina Beach

Best northern beach

Make it as far as the northernmost Jaffna peninsula, and the beaches get barren, windswept and remote. Many are deserted and offer little shade, so it’s no wonder that Casuarina Beach – named after the trees that fringe its sand – is so popular, despite the adventurous 40-minute cross-island drive from Jaffna.

Planning tip: Casuarina tends to be busiest on weekends, with day-tripping family groups frolicking in the warm, shallow sea.

12. Kalpitiya Beach

Best beach for kitesurfing

Kalpitiya is a 35km peninsula that juts out from the northwest coast near Puttalam. Firs flank a beach that extends almost uninterrupted to the ruined Dutch fort at the very tip of the peninsula. To the east lies the vast Puttalam lagoon, where the dancing sails of kitesurfers color the skies during the windier, low-season months of May to September.

13. Mawella Beach

Best beach for total relaxation

Mawella is a mesmerizing yet little-known south coast beach. Its 2km curved bay is backed by just a handful of boutique hotels, villas and simple bungalows, nestled in palm-shaded grounds. Even though it’s only 7km from Tangalla, those in the know come here for a rare taste of southern escapism and plan to do very little at all. That said, the rolling waves are fun for bodyboarding, and the long beach is super for break-of-dawn runs.