Sri lanka Tourism Info

Sri Lanka Tourism Guide -About Sri Lanka Beaches

Wondering which of Sri Lanka's many sun-kissed, tropical beaches to visit? Read on for our guide to each of the country's coasts and to discover which beach is the one for your holiday

Beach in Uppuveli, Sri Lanka

When in Sri Lanka, one essential experience is to spend some time just lazing on a beautiful, tranquil beach. Struggling to choose between them? Here's a brief overview of the country's coastal regions, followed by our selection of the best Sri Lanka beaches...

West Coast

Sri Lanka’s west coast shows the island at its most developed, its most Westernised, and its most tourist-oriented. A string of fine beaches, backed by hundreds of hotels and guesthouses of all sizes and standards, dot the coast from Negombo in the north to Hikkaduwa in the south. Despite increasing development in other parts of the island, the large resort hotels of Negombo, Kalutara, Beruwala and Bentota – all reachable from the capital, Colombo – continue to serve as the main engine of the island’s substantial package-tourist industry, offering two-week stays to sun-starved European visitors, particularly during the northern winter. If a fly-and-flop holiday with a little culture thrown in too is what you're after, don't miss Insight Guides' Unforgettable Sri Lanka trip. The itinerary takes in Colombo and the west coast, as well as Galle, Yala National Park and Ella.

South Coast

The south coast is one of Sri Lanka’s most rewarding places to visit. This is the island in a microcosm: gorgeous beaches, colonial townscapes, stilt fishermen, superb wildlife parks and Buddhist shrines and temples aplenty – not to mention the island’s most alluring selection of places to stay, from luxurious beach hotels to atmospheric colonial-era villas. Active types will find a never-ending range of things to see and do here although, despite piecemeal development around the coast, much of the region’s charm lies in its somnolent and quintessentially rural atmosphere; discover it for yourself on Insight Guides' Sri Lanka Deluxe holiday. Innumerable comatose villages nestle in the shade of toppling palm trees, and the pace of life is unashamedly indolent. For proximity to more action, look for resorts near Galle, a colonial town nestled on the southern coast. Insight Guides' Luxury Sri Lanka and the Maldives holiday includes a two-day stop here, where you can explore the area's best beaches.

East Coast

Sri Lanka’s east coast is unquestionably beautiful, but was off the tourist trail for many years due to the long-raging civil war, compounded by the damage wrought in the 2004 tsunami. However, in the years following the civil war's end in 2009, there has been slow and steady reconstruction and the region is now finally looking to the future with renewed confidence. Its major towns – Trincomalee and Batticaloa – are bustling with life and commercial activity while ongoing development promises to finally start unlocking the massive tourism potential of the superb coast – albeit at the inevitable cost of changing its formerly remote and magically unspoilt character for ever. Check out Passikudah Bay for some of the best new hotels.

As well as five days of relaxation on the east coast, Insight Guides' Perfectly Sri Lanka tour includes the island's highlights from Sigiriya Rock Fortress to the Knuckles Mountain Range. What are you waiting for?

Our five best beaches in Sri Lanka

1. Unawatuna

A pretty little horseshoe beach backed by one of Sri Lanka’s most enjoyable villages. Close to the colonial town of Galle, you can add a stop at Unawatuna on Insight Guides' Sri Lanka: Culture and Coast tour.

2. Bentota and Induruwa

One of the finest stretches of beach on the west coast, running south from the magnificent Bentota lagoon and lined with a string of alluring hotels. Lying half-way between big-hitter destinations like Colombo and Galle, making a stop at Bentota on Insight Guides' Sri Lanka Family Adventure holiday is an obvious choice.

3. Arugam Bay

Famous for its surf, this remote beach and village in the far east also has bags of laid-back charm and a number of interesting sights nearby. Take a trip Arugam Bay with Insight Guides: simply submit a trip request and we'll do the hard work for you.

4. Mirissa

One of the south coast’s most intimate beaches, with a picture-perfect arc of sand screened by toppling palms – and a great place to go whale-watching too. Experience it for yourself on Insight Guides' Sri Lanka Deluxe holiday.

5. Uppuveli

Proximity to the former war zone means that this superb swathe of sand remains remarkably sleepy and undeveloped – visit now before it all changes. Add it to your Perfectly Sri Lanka itinerary with Insight Guides.