Unawatuna Beach

One the most picturesque beaches that has made it to the list of ‘top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world’ as voted by the Discovery Channel and Mark Ellingham, the founder of ‘Rough Guides’. Unawatuna is located on the southward Galle coast; a semi-circular beach of golden sands and soft rolling waves, perfect for relaxing, swimming and diving. Unawatuna is protected by a natural reef and also provides some interesting wreck sites for those in the mood for a dive.

Hikkaduwa Beach

Hikkaduwa, almost 100 km south of Colombo, has long been known as Sri Lanka’s most popular beach resort, famed for its surf and coral reef as well as its wide range of accommodation, food, fun and shopping. This is perhaps the only coastal region where that special holiday feeling dominates town, with shops selling resort wear, renting out bicycles, offering courses in scuba diving and selling all kinds of local souvenirs, batik fabric and jewelry.

Bentota Beach

Bentota are popular exotic beaches along the Colombo- Galle road located about 65km from Colombo. The Bentota lagoon stretches parallel to the beach adding a vista of tranquility, with its tropical greenery and islets rich in bird life. Bentota is havens to tourists with accommodation to suit every budget, a range of Ayurveda treatments, and an array of water sports leaving the adventurer spoilt for choice.

Trincomalee Beach

Trincomalee is some of the most picturesque and scenic beaches found in Sri Lanka, relatively unspoilt and clean. The area is famous for bathing and swimming, owing to the relative shallowness of the sea, allowing one to walk out over a hundred meters into the sea without the water reaching the chest. Whale watching is a common pastime in the seas off Trincomalee, and successful sightings are on the rise with the increase of tourism in the area.

Pasikudah and Kalkuda Beach

Pasikuda and Kalkuda are unspoilt beaches in the East coast of Sri Lanka, close to the town of Batticaloa. The white sands, clear blue water, and the stillness of the sea are both captivating and unparalleled by far. Pasikuda is known to have one of the longest stretches of shallow coastline in the world. After the 2004 Tsunami and with the end of the Civil war, these beaches have regained its popularity among the locals and tourists.

Arugam Bay Beach

Located 314km from Colombo, Arugam Bay is an internationally acclaimed hot spot for surfing. The very first international surfing competition was held by the International Surfing Association (ISA) in the summer of 2004 at Arugam Bay. The surfing season in Arugam Bay begins in April and ends in October. It’s not just the surfing, but the coral reefs, the abundance of tropical fish and the lovely sceneries of mangroves, jungles, lagoons, rivers, rice fields and sand dunes make Arugam Bay a sight to behold.

Kalpitiya Beach

The sparkling blue surf of the Indian Ocean and scenic tropical lagoons which edge the western shores of the Wayamba province are glided with 240 km of wide, sun drenched beaches.

Tangalle Beach

Many people claim that the beaches around Tangalle have the softest sand and the safest sea along the entire south coast. Tangalle seems set to become the most exclusive of the beaches along the south coast, and offers a chance to scuba dive around the coral reef protecting its four km of sandy beach, and to explore a couple of wrecks. You could also watch nesting marine turtles drag themselves ashore at night to lay their eggs at Rekwalla.

Pigeon Island

Floating in the great blue 1km offshore, Pigeon Island, with its powdery white sands and glittering coral gardens, tantalizes with possibilities. A nesting area for rock pigeons, the island is beautiful enough, with rock pools and paths running through thickets, but it’s the underwater landscape that’s the real star. The reef here is shallow, making snorkeling almost as satisfying as diving, and it’s home to dozens of corals, hundreds of reef fish (including blacktip reef sharks) and turtles.

Negombo Beach

Negombo is known for its huge and old fishing industry with busy fish markets, and the nice sandy beaches with
modern hotels, guest houses, fine restaurants, pubs and the night life.

Mount Lavinia Beach

Famed for its “Golden Mile” of beaches, it has often been a hot spot for tourism and laid back nightlife. It is one of the most liberal regions in Sri Lanka and host to the island’s annual Rainbow Kite Festival. The fantastic beach is crowded on holidays with local people who enjoy the beach sports activities such as swimming and surfing.

Kalutara Beach

Kalutara is a major city in Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is also the administrative capital of Kalutara District. It is located approximately 43 km south of the capital Colombo.