Located in the district of Matara within the Southern Province, Mirissa is a small coastal town which used to be well known as a fishing port. However, during the last few years, Mirissa has also gained a reputation as a tourist hotspot and a number of star class hotels in Mirissa Sri Lanka have been established in order to cater to this demand. Mirissa can be accessed by the Southern Expressway as well as the Mirissa railway station and is well known for its beach, whale and dolphin watching as well as its cultural and religious attractions. The Mirissa beach is considered to be safer and cleaner than the beaches in Colombo and those who are residing in accommodation such as Mandara Resort Mirissa can opt to get some of the best views of the beach from Rock Island, and the Ratnagiri hilltop temple.