The Beaches of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has beautiful beaches on all sides. People who decide to visit or move there should know that many of them have been damaged by the tsunami in 2004 and are still on their way to recovery.

Tangalle

Tangalle is located in the south of Sri Lanka’s west coast, and is a fishery harbor town. People go there to enjoy the long, beautiful beach, and to take advantage of scuba diving and turtle watching. It is a laid-back place to go that is not overly developed.

Bentota

Bentota Beach is located also on the West Coast, and is has lots of sand, coral reefs, a river and many facilities for water sports.

Negombo

Negombo is often visited because it is the closest beach to the airport in Sri Lanka. It is situated on the country’s West Coast, and was also the first beach resort of the island. There is a long stretch of sand, and the town is fairly developed, with a permanent population of about 65,000.

Mount Lavinia

Mount Lavinia is on the West Coast, and is the closest beach to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest city. It is located to the south, in a suburb of Colombo, and still has a colonial touch. It is known to have the softest sand and most mellow waves in the country.

Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is a small town in the south, with a beach that has lots of famous coral gardens that are explored via scuba facilities. The town is also know for fun nightlife.

Unawatuna

Unawatuna is a southern beach on the West Coast, located just south of Galle, which is a world heritage city full of Dutch colonial architecture and historical sites. It is protected by a reef, and many people go to Unawatuna to go surfing, scuba diving and snorkeling. It is known to be very biodiverse, full of lots of endemic birds and turtles.

Trincomalee

Trincomalee is a port city located on Sri Lanka’s East Coast. It is built along a peninsula, and it has beautiful harbors. The beaches are famous for surfing, fishing, whale watching and scuba diving. This city also holds the largest Dutch fort of the country, and today there are some naval bases and an air force base situated in its premises.

Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay is an eastern bay where people go for surfing, scuba diving and underwater photography. There are also many shipwrecks along its coast.

Nilaveli

Located on the East Coast, Nilaveli is full of lovely white sands and clear waters. Pigeon island is one nice spot for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Batticaloa

Batticaloa is one of the largest lagoons in Sri Lanka, and it is located on the East Coast. It is known for its singing fish.

Comments