Top Beaches to Visit in Sri Lanka -Sun, Sand and a lot of FUN!

Lovingly nicknamed as "Hikka", the southern beach town of Hikkaduwa is located about two hours away from Colombo. The Beach here is considered to be the second-best surf destination is country as its features some really cool breaks like Benny's, Main Reef, North Jetty and Beach Break to name a few. Waves at these breaks can range from 3 feet to 10 feet.

Of course, the main reason why Hikka is so famous isn't because of the waves, it's because of what's under the waves. The Hikkaduwa Beach is where you can find one of the 3 marine national parks in Sri Lanka. The fringing coral reef at the Hikkaduwa National Park is of a high degree of biodiversity consisting a variety coral species such as staghorn, brain, elkhorn, table, cabbage, and star corals. Three sea turtle species-the Hawksbill, Green and Olive Ridley turtles-as well as 170 species of fish. If you're not too keen on snorkeling or diving, you can rent a fiberglass bottomed boat and enjoy the coral reef without getting wet.

Two words, "Surfer's Paradise". Arugam Bay is a beautiful beach located on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, approximately 7 hours away from Colombo. Its famous around the world as a mecca for surfer's for its features a range of amazing surf breaks like the Main Point, Whiskey Point, Pottuvil Point, Elephant Rock and Peanut Farm, to name a few. Out of these, Main Point is the only place where Sri Lanka's international surfing competition takes place.

Arugam Bay is a melting pot of surf culture and you get surfers of all nationalities and skill levels, from the amateur to the pro, coming here. If you also wish to be one of them, know that the best time to visit the bay depending on excellent surfing conditions is during May to October.

The calm waters of the Bentota Beach can be accessed by a one-hour drive from Colombo via the southern expressway as well as Galle via the Galle Road. This southern coast beach is famous with foreign and local holidaymakers alike for its convenient location. The best time to go swimming here is between the months of November and April. In addition to swimming, you can also try out a host of watersports here such as scuba diving, snorkeling, water-skiing, canoeing, kayaking or deep sea fishing.

The Madu Ganga (River) flows close by to Bentota making it one of the top attractions to explore in the hamlet. Take a safari along this serene river and discover many islets sprawled across its expansive waters as well as curious wildlife and fauna such as exotic birds, giant water monitors and the precious mangrove eco system.

Located within the southern coast about two and a half hours away from Colombo, Mirissa is a charming little coastal town that is world renowned as a whale watching destination. The season extends from November to April, during which time you can find many tours being organized. You can also opt to book a tour with the Sri Lankan Navy or get an attractive package by one of the Mirissa beach hotels the likes of Esprit d'ici Hotel. During this time, not only will you be able to see many numbers of the majestic blue whale, but also other species like Sperm whales, Bryde´s whales, Killer whales and Fin whales. Also visiting Mirissa at this time are common dolphins, spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and Risso's dolphins. You can sometimes see turtles and various fish species such as flying fish and Bluefin tuna.

Not as beautiful or exciting as the other beaches, the Galle Face Beach is definitely worth a mention for its one of the most famous and popular of beaches in the country. Located right in the heart of Colombo, the Galle Face Beach features a green lawn set by the sea, where people come to fly kites, play a game of volleyball or try out the delicious range of street food offered by the street side kiosks.