Beach Holidays

With nearly 1600 km of of palm fringed Coastline baked to perfection surrounding the country Sri Lanka is the ideal destination for beach bums worldwide.  May it be windsurfing, kayaking, yachting, water skiing, scuba diving or jut lazing around for the perfect tan, Sri Lanka offers it all.

The two monsoon winds providing rain to the two corners of the country at various periods, makes Sri Lanka’s beach holiday a year round prospect. The north east winds make the south western coast sunny and the sea calm from November to March. The South West winds make the East Coast waters quiet with the constant sun shine happily in agreement. 

The best of the Southern beaches include Tangalla, Beruwala, Mirissa, Bentota and Unawatuna with varying options including chic boutique hotels, glowing coral reefs, gentle sandbars and undiscovered corners of paradise.

Although Sri Lanka’s southern beaches has been long discovered by the international traveller the east coast is yet to be fully discovered. The most known among the Eastern beaches is the Arugam Bay, the high church of surfing enthusiasts’ in the region. Once a mere rumour, Uppuveli beach is also open to the sun seekers after a three decade long civil war.

On the Western corner of the country to the north of Colombo is the Negambo lagoon. Its beaches, an old favourite with local and foreign visitors and lagoon famed for lobster harvesting. Despite having a ring of sandy beaches surrounding the country, Galle Face Green, a half a kilometre stretch between Galle Road and Indian Ocean is the playground of the Colombians.

Top five beaches in Sri Lanka

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 discover which beach is the one for you.

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.

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. 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.

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.

Our five best beaches in Sri Lanka

1. Unawatuna

A pretty little horseshoe beach backed by one of Sri Lanka’s most enjoyable villages.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Polhena Beach 

Matara is a place in Sri Lanka as it is precisely situated in the Southern area of the city of Colombo. The sea view of the city is spectacular and it is beautifully presented with the glamorous look. It extends to a good half a mile in distance and there are not many beaches with so many beautiful shady zones and trees.

But Matara is a zone with much of green and shady areas that add to its aesthetic beauty a lot. Many people and tourists who travel to the beach opt for the maps as they sometimes find it hard to locate the Polhena beach located in Matara.

There are many beaches all across Sri Lanka but Polhena beach presents a mesmerizing view to its viewers and tourists. The travel guides also contain extra information on the beach and can be seen by many individuals as a source of good visitor information.

The Polhena Beach in Matara is about 2 km at a distance from the city center and the great thing about it is that any person can easily swim through the area as the sea water is fenced with the corals. This is done to protect and secure the tourists who are especially enjoying quality time with their families and friends, in Matara. Polhena Beach in Matara is also a great honeymoon location as there are many amazing areas and places to visit that are very romantic due to their classic look and feeling. Another great feature is that the Nilwala River flows through the city and directly falls into the sea at place of Totamuna. There is a beautiful island named as the Crow Island that is directly in front of the Polhena Beach in Matara. It also adds to the aesthetic appeal of the place as it is beautifully located and gives a spectacular look to the visitors who are fantasized by the beauty of this place. The greenery and beautiful trees enhance and overall appeal of the area.

The Matara city also comprises of many tall and beautiful buildings that are located in the commercial zone and honeymoon couples can visit the place for shopping and other purposes as it contains many traditional items and gives good quality time and memories to the tourists and travel lovers. Many people who visit the Polhena Beach in Matara come again and again to visit the beauty of nature in shape of this beautiful beach.

Fishing at polhena beach

Polhena Beach

Corals