A guide to the best beaches on the South Coast of Sri Lanka..
Which beach in the South of Sri Lanka should I visit?
That was the million dollar question. Being the indecisive person I am, I simply couldn’t decide and so opted to visit as many beaches as possible in the time I had. Here’s a run down of my experiences and a quick summary of each of the Sri Lankan beaches I visited in the South…
Mirissa Beach
If you’re looking for somewhere lively, with bars and nightlife then this is your beach. I didn’t stay there overnight, but apparently there is something going on at a different beach bar each night.
I enjoyed a few cocktails while people watching, and there’s plenty of beach bars and casual beachside restaurants to choose from.
Weligama beach
Further up the coast, a ten minute tuk tuk ride away from Mirissa is Weligama- a Surfers paradise . If you’re looking to learn to surf this is your place as the beaches is lined back to back with surf schools. But if you’re not coming to learn to surf, I wouldn’t bother staying here as other than surfing there’s not a whole lot going on. 
Where to stay in Weligama..
I stayed in my own wooden cabin which was pretty cool at Neo’s Place. They have balconies in which you can see and watch the monkeys in the trees! It also had AC in the room, this was a blessing as the weather is much hotter in the South than in the cooler climate of Ella. It could get ridiculously hot and stuffy.
I could hear the waves crashing at night which I loved despite being located across the road from the sea.
This was one aspect of Weligama I wasn’t keen on- all of the guest houses/hotels were not located on the beach front but over the road. It’s a shame the road is so close to the beach.
Budget option:
If you’re looking for a dorm, next door was Hangtime Hostel. I’d hoped to book a private room here as apparently the beds are inside old fishing boats- how cool is that?! But they were fully booked, so if you fancy staying here reserve online in advance of your stay.
Where to Eat:
I ended up eating at a little food truck by the beach, surprisingly they served alcohol (a lot of places in Sri Lanka don’t). So I could sit by the beach and enjoy a decent glass of wine.
Midigama beach:
A bit further up the coast is Midigama, a cute surfers paradise. I didn’t stop here just passed by on my way to Unawatuna, but it looked really cool- a relaxing surfing haven! Check out this great post if you’re interested in surfing in Weligama or Midigama.
Dalawella Beach.
There’s a beach bar/cafe with a rope swing on a palm tree outside where you can swing out over the ocean.
I came for lunch, and had a fabulous spot on a table right by the sea at Shanthi seafood restaurant where I had a prawn curry and a few glasses of wine overlooking the ocean.
Tourists in this area were mainly families and older folk. I think the accommodation is quite highly priced in comparison to Mirissa and Weligama. I didn’t stay here I just came for the afternoon.
Another popular restaurant was at Wijaya beach restaurant which is known for its homemade pizzas. I wasn’t hungry after my prawn curry, but I watched the guy make the pizzas from scratch and if I’d had room I’d definitely have been tempted! Instead I ordered a cocktail. Predictable moi?!
Jungle Beach
Word on the traveller grapevine was that this place was a mini paradise. A beach through the jungle. I had visions of the beach as in the book/film. An Australian I met in Ella told me that it was incredible and I must go! Well who was I to argue with an Australian about beaches?! So off I set for my piece of Utopia. Haha how wrong I was. Unknowingly I’d chosen the wrong day to come.
I’d didn’t realise it before setting off, but it turned out to be the Sri Lankan Religious National Holiday of ‘Bak Full Moon Poya day’ – a Buddhist holiday in Sri Lanka. This celebrates the second visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka who arrived and settled a dispute between two local chiefs.
I got to the first section. It was okay, but nothing special. I’ve definitely seen more impressive beaches.
So I clambered over rocks to the next section…
National day meant that as a result the beach was HEAVING!! Maybe on a normal weekday, this place is blissful, but to be honest it was like a Sri Lankan Benidorm when I got there! And I was there before 11am..
After watching the locals enjoy themselves for a bit (five minutes and I’d had enough to be honest) I then headed up to the Japanese Pagoda, a beautiful white Buddhist temple built on Rumasalla hill above Jungle beach.
Apparently it was donated by the Japanese during the Sri Lankan civil war and built by Buddhist monks as a temple of peace. It certainly had a peaceful ambience when I was up there, and stunning views overlooking the ocean.
I wandered around and despite the intense midday heat, it was lovely and cool up there.
Covered up in my loose trousers and t- shirt and removing my flip flops by the door I got the nod of approval to enter the temple by the Pagoda.
After I had a look around it, I gave a small donation, and the guy in charge gave me some colourful sweets in return. “Eat, candy”. Well I’m not one to turn down sweets so I popped them in my mouth. I’m not kidding, they tasted of curry! First time I’ve had curry flavoured sweets haha, they were strangely nice though, once I’d got over the initial surprise.
Unawatuna beach.
I was thinking it would also be rammed here, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was actually quieter than Jungle beach, and the beach is much larger – an extensive stretch of sand.
I seated myself at a restaurant, and asked if they serve alcohol- a nice drink in front of the sea was just what the doctor ordered. “No I’m sorry because it is national holiday, no alcohol today”. My face must have fell, because he whispered that he could give me a can of beer in a teapot. Unfortunately I don’t drink or like beer. A sprite it was!
Where to Eat:
Recommended was an inexpensive Curry restaurant called Happy Spice. Unfortunately it was closed due to the public holiday so I ended up at a beach bar where I had grilled tuna, fried and salad. The tuna was really good! I’m used to John west in a can not the chunks of fresh tuna that usually costs a fortune! They weren’t adhering to the National day and were still serving cocktails.
I then had a wander around the streets behind the beach for a coffee.
Where to Stay:
I stayed out of the centre in a locally owned guesthouse which in hindsight was a mistake as although it was cute, there was nothing nearby, and I had to get tuk tuks or buses everywhere which was a hassle and an added expense.
Tip: check on a map where your accommodation is. Just because it says it’s in Unawatuna doesn’t mean it is! Mine was near Talpe.
Hikkaduwa Beach
I didn’t make it here, but check this post out here for info! I was told there’s a fun night each Friday at Vibration hotel.
How to get from one beach to another.
Travelling between the Southern beaches is fairly straight forward. The beach are all on the same stretch of road. Easiest would be to hire a car or scooter. Here’s some different travel methods using public transport…
Train. The train runs from Galle to Mirissa but only runs a few times a day.
Bus. The buses are regular and get you from A to B very quickly. (Almost too quickly!) All the beaches are on the coastal road and so it’s easy enough to get a bus from one beach to another. They do drive like absolute maniacs though, so try and get a seat if you can to avoid falling over!
Tuk tuk. This will take you from door to door, and there’s plenty around. However, it isn’t the quickest way to get around, and is quite pricey. For example from Weligama to Unawatuna I was charged 1000 rupees whereas the bus would be about 30. Tuk tuks aren’t really suitable for distances longer than a few kilometres.
When to visit the South coast of Sri Lanka:
In the South of Sri Lanka, it’s recommended to visit between October and April, with peak season being November- February. Of course prices will shoot up then, but the atmosphere will be lively. By late March some of the beach towns seemed a bit dead. For me it was also way too hot in late March. If I was to return, I’d pick a cooler time to come.
How to get here.
If you’re coming from Colombo take the scenic coastal train ride or the express bus from Colombo to Galle. From Galle take the train, bus, taxi or tuk tuk to your designated beach.
If you’re coming from Ella, take the public bus to Matara, and then a public bus to Mirissa or whichever beach you’re going to. Or alternatively do as I did and share a car ride stopping off at the incredible Unawatuna National Park to see elephants! Highly recommended. Read more about that here. !
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