The south coast is one of Sri Lanka’s most gratifying regions to visit. Often overlooked by tourists in favor of tea country, Sri Lanka’s south coast is teeming with breathtaking shorelines, beautiful temples and Buddha statues, and the laid-back pace of life still revolves around coconut farming, rice cultivation and stilt-fishing.
Starting from west to east, here is a guide to Sri Lanka’s top beaches along the south coast:
Bentota (Ventura Beach)
Although we initially skipped Bentota when planning our itinerary, a spur of the moment reduction to our time in tea country allowed us time to circle back and explore this lovely coastal town just 65km south of Colombo.
Bentota is a tourist attraction, and rightfully so as it is home to a handful of world class resorts, and a stunning beach known as Ventura beach. Ventura beach sits across the Bentota railway, and an hour and a half train ride gets you here relatively easy from the nation’s capital.
Graced by palm trees and a serene atmosphere, Ventura Beach is a stunning stretch of fine, powdery sand that should be on your bucket list if you’re planning a trip to the south baked coast of Sri Lanka!
Hikkaduwa (Hikkaduwa Beach + Wild Turtles)
If we have to be completely honest, we were underwhelmed to say the least when we visited Hikkaduwa beach. It was overcrowded, and overall not as nice as research led us to believe. It’s lined with resorts and restaurants and the main section of the beach is flocked with tourists. If you’re looking for a little more peace, you’ll have to walk to the left of the beaches main entrance. HOWEVER, Hikkaduwa Beach is a hotspot for wild turtles, and we feel this is enough of a reason to put Hikkaduwa on this list. The wild turtles are endemic to this part of the coastline and can be spotted all year round.
Unawatuna (Unawatuna Beach)
About 15 minutes south and across the bay from Galle is Unawatuna, a palm-lined beach town known for its coral reef. Tourists flock to its semi-circular beach, and it is also known for its sea turtle population and tourists can witness them laying eggs along the shore throughout the year. The beach attracts large volumes of tourists as it is lined with resorts, restaurants and juice bars. Lined with palm trees and offering activities like snorkeling & scuba diving, the sand is golden, and the water is warm.
Jungle Beach (in Unawatuna)
Hidden inside a stretch of jungle, adding more reason to the name it was given, Jungle Beach can be found about 5 minutes north from Unawatuna beach. This small stretch of beach is a couple hundred steps from the Japanese Peace Pagoda and any local tuk-tuk driver can accompany you to its location. Jungle beach is small and secluded and can be the perfect beach for anyone who doesn’t enjoy the large crowds which are attracted by Unawatuna beach.
Dalawella Beach (in Unawatuna)
4 minutes south of Unawatuna beach is Dalawella beach and home to one of the most iconic and Instagrammable shots you can take in Sri Lanka; the palm tree rope swing! This is a prime example of a social media hotspot made popular by bloggers, vloggers and Instagrammers over the years and is a must do if you’re going to be visiting the area! The palm-fringed beach isn’t ask crowded as Unawatuna, but is beautiful and packed with tourist-friendly restaurants and accommodations.
Weligama (Weligama Bay Beach)
144km from the capital city of Colombo lies a wonderful little fishing town called Weligama. Sandy Village (its translation), is a quiet surf hotspot located around Weligama bay which on our opinion is a great place to lay camp due to its proximity to its northwestern neighbors Unawatuna and Galle (roughly 40 minutes) and Mirissa (12 minutes) to the south-east. Apart from being known for its stilt fisherman, Weligama is notorious for its waves which are deemed perfect for beginners to learn how to surf.
We made Weligama our base camp for the start of our southern voyage and we stayed at this awesome newly-opened hostel called the Spindrift! We highly recommend you check it out as Charlotte & Josh are tremendous hosts!
The area is also home to numerous good restaurants which can be reached by foot. We highly recommend you give High Tide Weligama and Ceylon Sliders a visit!
Mirissa (Mirissa Beach)
12 minutes and 2.4km southeast from Weligama is another tourist hotspot, Mirissa. Here you’ll find a crescent shaped shoreline in Mirissa Beach, which is close to the southern tip of Sri Lanka. Mirissa is a well-known location and tourists flock to the area to explore the numerous wonders it has to offer. The water here is clean, warm and little more crowded than Weligama. Mirissa is also well known for their beautiful sunsets so be sure to catch one if you are in the area!
Aside from Mirissa Beach, there’s the not so secret, Secret Beach, another beautiful spot for an afternoon of sun bathing. It’s a little hidden gem around the corner from the main beach is the perfect place to get away from the crowds or go for a beer come sunset.
Talalla
Talalla bay beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Sri Lanka, is often found empty apart from a few travelers who visit the resorts residing on the beach. This wonderful stretch of sandy beach lined with palm trees sits approximately 15 minutes from Matara town and is often overlooked by travelers along the south coast.
Talalla beach was conveniently located across the street from Handun Villas, a beautiful 123-year old colonial manor which opened in June 2017. We highly recommended Handun Villas for its proximity to the bay, and to the next beach we feel is a must do; Hiriketiya.
Hiriketiya Beach (Talalla)
15 minutes from Talalla beach is Hiriketiya beach, a wonderful bay beach with warm water and great surf waves. Numerous restaurants, juice bars, homestays and resorts line the bay although it isn’t overcrowded like most beaches in Sri Lanka… for now!
Tangalle
Tangalle is a town located 35 km east of Matara and comprised of several bays, including Goyambokka, Pallikkudawa, Medaketiya and Medilla. Tangalle beach is a golden sandy palm-fringed urban beach with a natural swimming area & loads of accommodations and restaurants. It was somewhat “under construction” while we were there, so we didn’t get the full experience of the beach, but we recommend checking it out if you are swinging through Tangalle.
Goyambokka Beach (Tangalle)
Goyambokka beach was among our favorite beaches and is a must do when visiting Tangalle. The cream-brown sand and clean blue sea is ideal for swimming and snorkeling and is one of the more serene beaches of Sri Lanka (in our opinion). There are restaurants, resorts and homestays surrounding the bay, but wasn’t as crowded as a beach this beautiful tends to be. Who knows, maybe its still relatively undiscovered… for now!
