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Best Beaches in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a hub of beaches. The little-hidden germ has a plethora of beaches. The country has some outstanding beaches which can’t miss on the trip. Listed below are the few best beaches in Sri Lanka that you should consider during your trip.
Beaches in & around Colombo
1) Crow Island Beach
The Crow Island Beach is one of the most frequented and favorite of tourists who visit Colombo. It is located very near Colombo. The administration is very efficient. The parking is very systematic, with 24 hours security. Although a word of advice as to the timing of the visit. Obviously, if a beach is beautiful and fun, it is going to end up having a high demand. Hence, you should know that the beach is bustling with people on weekends; some relaxing, some exercising and jogging up and down the beach while others either go for an energetic swim or simply stroll along.
2) Mount Lavina Beach
Another tourist favourite, the Mount Lavina Beach in Colombo district is one which offers a comfortable environment, tasty food, soothing drinks and serene sunset views. Tourists say that the best place to watch the evening or morning sunset or sunrise is the Mount Lavina Hotel balcony while sitting in their swimming pool or bathtub (which is not very expensive, according to tourist reports). You can find both open air as well as shaded pubs along the beach. Wooden shelters and chairs create a peculiarly exciting environment. And then there are the palm trees lining the seashore, which present a picturesque view in itself.
The Swag of Arugam Bay
Having earned the title of “Surfers’ Paradise”, the Arugam Bay is one of the larger beaches that you’ll find in Sri Lanka. The most exciting and stunning feature of the Arugam Bay is the unique Elephant Rock, aka, Elephant Point, which is a huge mound of rocks. Its top can be reached in about 10-15 minutes, and once you get there, behold, an awesome view of the whole sea in front of you while sitting serenely on top. Other than that, its strong, intense waves are one of its stunning features, which make it an ideal beach for surfing. And where there’s surfing, there’s a whole lot of fun.
The high season for this bay is in the summers, between May to September. During these months, many parts of the Arugam Bay are crowded with over-joyed tourists. These months are also the ones when there are more clubs, night parties and bonfires as well as various international and local surf competitions. However, if you prefer serenity and isolation, the bay is large enough to make a place for you. One can always stroll over to quieter or less crowded parts of the Bay. In fact, expert surfers usually prefer surfing in isolated waters. If you wish to learn surfing, nearby surf schools like Safa Surf School and Dylan’s Surf Company are the deal The Arugam Bay has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor and has also been featured in “Best in Asia”.
The Blues of Mirissa beach
Mirissa Beach has got to be the hottest and trendiest beach of Sri Lanka in 2018. TripAdvisor even awarded its Travelers Choice Award 2018 to Mirissa Beach because of the high rate of tourist activity at the beach during most of the year. Even though the beach is shorter than Arugam Bay, it is still well liked by hundreds of tourists. Of course, since this crescent-shaped beach is short, people who do not like crowded beaches might perhaps not go there during the usually high season. A very unique feature at the Mirissa Beach is the beachfront accommodation.
Some hotels offer rooms right at the very edge of the shore. Imagine sleeping in an open room knowing that the sea is right out the window. Scary, eh? However, it has been reported recently that many of the rooms have been demolished due to legal reasons. So, try to find out about the Beach situation if you happen to visit Mirissa Beach in these summer months of 2018.
Anyhow, having said all that, we must tell you that the beach is a cool, (mostly) clean place called by many as a paradise as well. Night parties, bars, shacks and restaurants, a perfect package perhaps. The Mirissa Beach is also famous for whale watching; sure to go and look out for blue whales in the blue waters under the bright blue sky.
Beauty and Bentota
Bentota is known as the Water Sports Capital of Sri Lanka. It is truly one of the best places to visit for tourists. It was precisely developed for tourist activities and attractions. The beachside is lined with both fine, expensive luxury hotels as well as cheaper, more affordable guest houses to lounge in. The beach has soft sand, bright blue clean water and strong currents.
Furthermore, there are plenty of tour agencies that will provide you with exciting water sports facilities such as surfing, speed boating, whale watching, scuba and snorkelling, etc. Although being aware of any criminal gangs who might be dominating business near beaches; there have been a few reports from tourists about such incidents.
Bentota Beach
Hikkaduwa or Narigama?
Another beach on the hit list of many tourists, the Hikkaduwa Beach may not be mentioned as the best beach in Sri Lanka but it is sought after by many. Located on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, the Hikkaduwa Beach offers much. TripAdvisor’s bestowed its prestigious Travellers’ Choice Award to the Hikkaduwa Beach as such, owing to its popularity with tourists.
Now, there are a few subtleties to be aware of. If you are a foreign tourist, we might inform you that there are two main parts, or ends, of the whole beach. They are named as the Hikkaduwa Bay and the Narigama Bay. The former has weaker waves and fewer hotels thus offer a better place for serenity loving, lone swimmers who’d rather avoid noisy crowds. The Narigama Bay offers more hotels, activities, parties and stronger water waves as well.
It is not impossible to swim in the Narigama Bay, of course, snorkelling and scuba diving goes on there as well. Then, of course, there are the occasional sea animals which you get to see: turtles, fish, dolphins (rare near the coast, farther away). You can find many comfortable hotels at varying prices and corresponding facilities (obviously). The beaches are less crowded in the months of June to August.
Explore East Sri Lanka
The Natural Beauty of Kalkudah
Now there are two ways of viewing this bay: one, that it is not adequately developed with hotel chains and restaurants; the other is that Kalkudah Beach offers a rare experience of natural, unspoiled beach for everyone. And that’s a great thing about a beach if you think about it. Actually, the Kalkudah did use to have several beach resorts for tourists, until they were damaged by the 2004 tsunami and Sri Lanka’s internal civil war violence.
Enter the Pasikuda
It’s yet another beach located at the east side of Sri Lanka a few minutes walk from the above-mentioned beach (Kalkudah beach). The Pasikuda Beach is one of those picture-perfect beaches you see in the photos. It’s shimmering crystal blue waters and long seashore make for a typical scenic beach view. The Kalkuda Bay may have retained its natural aura, but the same cannot be said about its neighbouring beach, the Pasikuda. The Pasikuda has been developed much more than the Kalkudah. So much so that agencies like TripAdvisor, for example, have awarded this place its Certificate of Excellence. The Pasikuda Beach is ideal for swimming. The seabed is shallow for quite a few meters, which makes it a safe swimming area. During the high season, it is, of course, highly crowded.
Negombo Lagoon
Another pretty place which isn’t exactly a beach, but closely attached to the sea, by a river stream, is the Negombo Lagoon south-west Sri Lanka. The Negombo Lagoon has also won a Certificate of Excellence from the aforementioned TripAdvisor. So, what does it have to offer? Well, apart from the cool, calm waters, just a stunning evening sunset view, extremely tasty seafood, sea creatures and birds including pelicans and terns, mangrove trees, monkey feeding, water sport and, phew, boat trips, of course. Oh, and it also has some garbage to offer during the high tourist season of January to April perhaps.
Marble Beach
Mentioning last, but certainly not the least, is the Marble Beach on the north-eastern coast of Trincomalee. The Marble Bay earned its name from the fact that on a typical bright sunny day, the waters of the sea often sparkle like bright marbles out there. If you are lucky enough, you might be able to behold that sought-after view yourself. The Marble Beach is another calm, safe and clean beach for you. Go and enjoy snorkeling, fishing or just laze around, taking in the mellow, relaxing vibe of the small town.
I hope you enjoyed reading about these beaches of Sri Lanka. Let me know about your thoughts in the comments.
