Lavinia Woolf
Sri Lanka is indeed blessed with the most beautiful beaches in South Asia. The tropical island is skirted by sandy shores right around; punctuated by fabulous resorts and sleepy fisher villages.
The western coast is easily reached from the Katunayake International Airport; the main tourist hub is the town of Negombo. Along the western coast you will find many beautiful beaches along which tourists resorts and water sports centres are located. The towns of Negombo and Chilaw are very cosmopolitan centres catering to the modern traveller, with Negombo being the more prominent of the two. Home to many Dutch relics from Sri Lanka's colonial era the western beaches are sandy patches of utter bliss. There you can plan to enjoy the day under sunny skies and watch as fisher boats bring in a fresh catch. You may also like attending the famous fish auction of Negombo for some local flavour. Water sports too are available along the western coast beaches offering relaxing vibes and laid back environs while you could head over to Kalpitiya and take part in dolphin and whale watching expeditions.
By far the most famous stretch of coast in Sri Lanka the southern beaches are the most popular in the island. Serviced by many resort towns along the way the southern coast is known for the resorts of Bentota, Mirissa, Galle, Kalutara and many more. Expect to come across stilt fishermen and verdant national parks such as Yala located along the southern coast which is home to Asia's largest leopard population. The south coast is home to the Old Dutch Fort a UNESCO Heritage Site and the most gorgeous sun bleached beaches in Sri Lanka. Just off Galle is the sleepy hamlet of Unawatuna where a crescent shaped beach serviced by a beautiful bay is home to a famous hillock and blow hole. Unawatuna home to the CoCo Bay Unawatuna is where some of the most popular resorts are located. In fact if you are planning a beach holiday in Sri Lanka consider one of the beach front Unawatuna hotels. Expect loads of water sports facilities, dolphin and whale watching and very cosmopolitan hotels along the southern coast.
Seeing an influx of tourism in the recent past the eastern coast beaches are truly beautiful sanctuaries that are not too spoilt by commercialism. There are loads of historical sites to visit along the eastern coast with some of the country's best surf spots also located along this stretch of beach. Gradually progressing the eastern coast too is slowly being serviced by main frame resorts that are setting up along the beautiful stretches of sand and swaying palms.
As a cumulative the 05 best beaches in Sri Lanka would without a doubt be Unawatuna a gorgeous crescent shaped beach framed by a sleepy village, Bentota and Induruwa along the southern coasts, Arugam Bay along the eastern coast well known as a surfers resort, Mirissa a picturesque beach offering whale and dolphin watching potential and Uppuveli in the North Eastern sector a relatively unspoilt pristine stretch of beach.
