Top 5 beaches that you must visit when you are in Sri Lanka.

Finding the top five beaches is challenging because most beaches are of good standing and attractive. Sri Lanka is a small and beautiful island with many attractive beaches. This small country has many picture-perfect beaches you can visit for different purposes.

Table of Contents

Unawatuna Beach

Unawatuna is a small town in the Gall district, South of Sri Lanka, 5.1 km from Galle city. The most convenient way to travel from Colombo to Unawatuna is to hire a taxi. The journey takes 2 hours and 15 minutes (Depending on the traffic) and is approximately 145 km from Colombo. Alternatively, you can travel by train or bus. Beach hotels, Restaurants, Bars, and souvenir shops surround this lovely beach. You can stay calm and free and enjoy the authentic seafood.

Unawatuna Beach can be a paradise for beach lovers because it offers sea baths, sunbathes, and other activities. Snorkeling and scuba diving are the most famous, and you can rent those equipment near diving schools on the beach. Boat trips and coral visits also attract more tourists. You can see more Corel and the different colored fish after doing those activities.

Also, you can visit Jungle Beach, an isolated, very active beach situated 3 km away from Unawatuna Beach. The easy way to get there is to rent a boat and go for a walk, which takes 10 minutes. More people visit Jungle Beach on weekends to enjoy the sun and the beach.

If you are staying in Unawatuna, you can visit the Unesco World Heritage site Gall Fort, which the Dutch constructed in the 17th century. The site features Dutch and English colonial architecture, restaurants, hotels, and a market. You can take a tuk-tuk from Unawatuna to visit the Dutch fort, which takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Mirissa Beach

Mirissa Beach is situated 150 kilometers south of Colombo. The best way to travel is by taxi or bus. The journey can take 3 to 5 hours, depending on the traffic. You can also travel by train to Mathara. From Mathara, you can take a tuk-tuk or car to Mirrissa.

Most tourists like to watch Whale when they travel to Mirrissa. The best time to visit Mirrissa between December and April is to watch Whale because the sea is not too rugged, and more whales are moving to this area. Marissa has a few whale categories, and famous among them include Blue whales and Bryde’s whales. The blue Whale is the most giant animal on the planet, and if you visit Mirrissa, you can see them if the day is good. Because some days, you cannot see any whales even if you stay in the sea longer.

The best time to start watching whales is in the morning, from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There are a few organizations and private whale-watching boats or ship-providers in the area. Prices depend on the time and how long you stay on the sea.

Apart from Whale watching, you can do other beach activities, like kayaking, jet skiing, Snooklin, and banana boat excursions, near the beach’s popular picturesque location, Coconut Tree Hill. Most tourists take photos and videos, especially at sunset time.

Bentota Beach

Bentota Beach is another famous tourist-attracting beach in south Sri Lanka, approximately 62 kilometers from Colombo. To visit Benthota, take a taxi, bus, or train. The journey takes 1 hour to 2.

Benthota Beach is famous for relaxing, sunbathing, and fun activities. There are well-known hotels and restaurants around the beach, and beach parties and games are held most weekends. If you visit Benthota Beach, you can also enjoy Ayurvedic treatments or massages. Benthota is home to the first Ayurvedic hotel in Sri Lanka.

You can also go on a river excursion on the famous Bentota River. Also, a mangrove boat safari is popular. You can see birds, fauna, and primates during this safari while the Boat moves through mangrove forests. The safari takes two to three hours. A Boat can be hired near the river.

You can visit Brief Garden, situated near Benthota Beach. The famous architect Bevis Bawa designed the garden, which includes flowers, water ponds, open spaces, and old buildings. If you stay longer in Benthota, you can also visit those places. You must take tickets from the entrance gate to enter the Brief Garden.

Arugam Bay Beach

Arugam Bay is situated 400 km away from Colombo. You can take a taxi or bus to visit there, and the journey can take approximately 7 hours, but that can depend on the traffic. Arugam Bay Beach is most famous for surfing all around the world.

April to September is the best time to visit and do serfing in Arugambay because rainfall is low. However, throughout the year, you can see and do serfing. July, August, and September, more tourists come to do the serfing.

Arugam Bay Beach has many serfing schools. If you are new to surfing, you can learn about it. Charges can be different at each serfing school.

You can also go scuba diving, snorkeling, and kitesurfing. If you stay longer in Arugam Bay, you can visit Kumana National Park, which has Elephants, leopards, crocodiles, and numerous bird species.

You can fish with local fishermen and learn about traditional fishing techniques. Then, you can enjoy dinner with delicious seafood from beach restaurants.

Nilaveli Beach

Nilaveli is approximately 260 kilometers east of Colombo, and you can take a bus or taxi to visit there. The journey takes 6 to 7 hours. It is one of the most relaxing beaches in Sri Lanka, and you can see the water transperantly at any time. You can walk kilometers with sea water because it is not deep. The best time to visit is between May and September because of the low rainfall.

Like other beaches, Nilaveli Beach offers more beach activities, such as skuba diving, swimming, and sunbathing. Near Nilaveli Beach is an Island called Pigeon Island. It is most famous for corral watching and snorkeling. To visit there, you must take a ticket and hire a boat. The Boat can organized, even the hotel.

If you stay longer, You can visit a famous Hindu temple called Koneswaram temple, Trincomalee Dutch port. Nilaveveli to Trincomalee takes 30 minute by tuk tuk.