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Sri Lanka is a picturesque island nestled in the Indian Ocean. Because of its natural beauty and the smaller size, Sri Lanka is also called the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka is gifted with a beautiful coastal belt and it is a massive contributor to the tourism of the country. It is the lifeline of the people living in the nearby fishing villages and a paradise for the visitors who come to swim in the shallow waters, sunbathe and engage in a lot of activities and sports on the beach.
These ten beaches can be identified as the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka and they have attracted beach lovers around the world.
1. Hikkaduwa Beach
Hikkaduwa is located in the Southern province in Sri Lanka. The easiest way to reach Hikkaduwa from Katunayake Airport is to take the Highway route and you will come to the destination within two and half hours.
Hikkaduwa has won the hearts of tourists because of the rich natural beauty. Hikkaduwa beach, commonly known as Hikka beach is gifted with a host of natural attractions. The most famous of them is the coral reefs. Hikka beach is everyday busy with the visitors who come to enjoy the beauty of the sea bed by taking a boat ride specifically employed for that purpose. Not only the kids, even the adults seem to have a child-like enthusiasm to see the coral reefs and fish in a myriad of colours. Not only that, Hikka beach is quite famous for the water sports such as surfing, boogie-boarding, snorkelling and scuba diving. There are enough centres in the vicinity providing training and equipment for that.
If you spend your evening on Hikkaduwa beach, you can see turtles being released to the sea. Most of the time this happens in the evening and most of the tourists love to enjoy this sight. The visitors who arrive at Hikka beach usually don’t miss the visit to the local turtle hatchery.
The nightlife in Hikkaduwa is a heavenly experience for the entertainment seekers. The beach becomes a hive of activity even after the night falls. In the close proximity to the beach you will find that there are enough pubs, bars and nightclubs where you can have fun to the brim.
Irrespective of the fact whether you come to Hikkaduwa alone, with a group of friends or you go there with your family, there is so much in store on this golden sand beach for every visitor regardless of their age.
2. Unawatuna Beach
Unawatuna beach is known as one of the liveliest beaches in Sri Lanka. Located in the Galle district, you can reach Unawatuna from the city of Galle by taxi within 15 minutes. This Banana shaped beach is a world famous tourist destination. This beach is gifted with an impressive marine life and, throughout the year, both local and foreign visitors flock to the Unawatuna beach to enjoy the unhindered beauty of this sunkissed beach and the specially corals. Therefore Unawatuna beach is a paradise for diving, Scuba diving, snorkelling and glass bottom boat tours. All these activities are available with various options and budget plans. Therefore, Unawatuna beach has been quite popular among the backpackers too.
The Gastronomy of the beach is remarkable with various restaurants and bars in the close proximity to the beach. You can enjoy a variety of food being cooked, baked and sizzled in a multifarious style. If you are fascinated by the sun beds, food and beach sports, plan your next trip to Unawatuna Beach.
3. Thalpe Beach
Thalpe beach is a 15 drive away from the Unawatuna Beach by a taxi. Thalpe beach has earned fame for its rock pools. They were carved from a coral reef around 50 years ago to soak coconut husks for the purpose of separating its coir. This is the only place where we can see such rock pools in the sea and therefore, Thalpe beach is attracted by both locals and foreigners.
The visitors who arrive at Thalpe beach love to enjoy the comfort of the sea inside a rock pool. Even if you get there, undoubtedly you will also feel like getting into a rock pool as they are so appealing. Yet, you must keep in mind that the ridges of the pools are so sharp and sometimes sea urchins must be hidden inside the pools. However, you will be able to take some scenic photographs here.
You must come to the beach before noon from March to April to enjoy the best view of this beach.
4. Pasikuda
Pasikuda beach is located in the Eastern province in Sri Lanka. Because of the golden sandy beach and the turquoise blue waters, Pasikuda beach is recognized as one of the most popular travel destinations in Sri Lanka. Mainly there are three ways to get to Pasikuda from Colombo, by bus, by train and by a personal vehicle. The beach is relatively less crowded, but the travellers who arrive at Sri Lanka seeking water sports such as windsurfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, water skiing and kitesurfing, would undoubtedly make their way to this beach.
If you are looking for a place to have a sea bath in Batticaloa district, look no further and come to Pasikuda beach. The shallow water and the low tide of the unpolluted beach have made it one of the safest places in Sri Lanka to have a sea bath. If you have a walk on the golden sand of Pasikuda beach in the evening, you will see how mesmerising the idyllic sunset is. The relaxation you get there will make you fall in love with this beach and lure you to revisit.
There are adequate hotels and beach houses nearby. Therefore, if you want to stay for a few days in Pasikuda enjoying the calmness of the beach, you can easily find accommodation within walking distance to the beach.
5. Nilaveli Beach
Nilaveli Beach is located in a coastal resort town of Trincomalee. The beach has got that name because of the pure white sand of the beach. The turquoise sea is set in contrast with the sugar white beach creating a pleasant sight for the visitors.
An evening walk on the seashore, kissed by the salty wind is a mind soothing experience. The beach is famous for its romantic ambience and the seaside resorts and restaurants complement the couples who come to Nilaveli beach in the evening with a classic seating arrangement.
Nilaveli beach is safe for swimming, surfing, snorkelling and diving. If you are coming to Nilaveli beach, you can easily find an onsite accommodation as you will need more than one day to absorb the entire beauty of this beach. There are boat rides taking you to nearby islets rich in scenic beauty and it should be an unmissable experience if you set foot on Nilaveli beach.
6. Marble Beach
Marble beach, also known as Marble Bay Beach is located in the close proximity to Nilaveli beach within Trincomalee’s natural harbour area. The sea is calm and clear and the surface of the water shines like a marble. That’s how the name of this beach has been derived.
Marble beach is managed by the Sri Lankan Navy. Therefore the cleanliness of the beach and the safety of the visitors is assured. There are onsite life guards, ensuring the opportunity of safe swimming and diving.
The season for visiting this beach comes from April to October. It is not recommended to visit this beach in December as the sea gets a bit rough with tidal waves.
7. Kalpitiya Beach
When talking about the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka, Kalpitiya beach can hardly be ignored. It is located three hour drive away from Colombo. You can reach Kalpitiya by taking a Colombo- Puttalam bus.
Kalpitiya beach is mostly famous for kitesurfing. The wind in the area gets more steady in January, making it the best season for kitesurfing in Kalpitiya beach. In addition to that, many visitors flock to Kalpitiya beach to enjoy the sight of the Spinner dolphins and a rare species of Sperm Whale. The salty wind and the tropical climate in Kalpitiya beach have made it an ideal location for sun bathing.
8. Arugam Bay Beach
Arugam Bay beach is located in the Southeast coast of Sri Lanka. When talking about Arugam Bay, the keyword is surfing. Arugam Bay beach deserves the fourth place of the world’s best surfing spots. Therefore Arugam Bay beach is one of the sought after beaches of those who enjoy surfing. The weather condition of the area and the nature of waves have made this beach congenial for surfing. As a result, surfers from every nook and corner of the world visit Arugam Bay beach to have a mindblowing surfing experience. This beach is being chosen for the international surfing contests too.
The Arugam Bay is neighboured by the Pottuvil, a fishing village. Therefore, if you travel to Arugam Bay you are promised to be treated with a sizzling seafood dish.
9. Pigeon Island
Pigeon Island National Park is located 2 km away from the picturesque Nilaveli beach. This is a centre of tourist attraction and a gift of nature. This is an islet of around five acres and a narrow beach.
In 1963, Pigeon Island was declared to be a sanctuary by the Sri Lankan government. This is identified as a national park not only taking the extent of the island into consideration, but also giving paramount importance to the coral reefs scattered in the sea and the rare species of fish in their surrounding.
The picturesque isle nestled in the ocean is constantly under the supervision of the Department of Wildlife. Therefore ensuring the safety of marine life in the area, every visitor has to be adhered to a set of rules and conditions imposed by the authorities. But is no way an impediment for the visitors to absorb its beauty.
10. Baththalangunduwa
Baththalangunduwa is not actually a beach but an island situated 38 km away from the mainland. This is a thin strip of an island of around 5 square kilometres in size. Kalpitiya town is the starting point of your journey to Baththalangunduwa.
There are ferry services operating from everyday except on Sundays taking passengers from the mainland to Baththalangunduwa island. Only the boats starting from Kalpitiya town are given access to reach the island. After a boat ride of around three hours you will set foot to this picturesque strip of land where serenity resides.
Even though it is small in size, there are three churches located on the island. Those who leave for fishing visit these churches soon after they return to the island to pay tribute to God for protecting their lives.
As for tourism, the major attraction of Baththalangunduwa is the beach camping. It will offer you an unforgettable relaxation with a panoramic ocean view, spectacular view of the descending sun and calm sound of the waves.
The best time to visit Baththalangunduwa is from December to Aril.
