Hikkaduwa Beach in Sri Lanka

Hikkaduwa beach is famous for its beautiful coral gardens and beach parties. It is one of the top locations for beach parties and you will find some sort of beach party almost every month of the year. Although there are secluded beaches owned by the hotels for you to relax, this isn't the ideal beach to spend a relaxing holiday. Because of the beautiful coral reef Hikkaduwa attracts lots of locals as well. This beach is frequented by mostly young tourists, and a popular destination for group packages as well. There are few top class hotels near the area. Coastal ares of Sri Lanka from Colombo to past Matara is full of luxurious beach hotels so it want be hard to find a beach hotel near Hikkaduwa.
The main attraction of the Hikkaduwa beach is the beautiful coral reef in the area. When the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwa was one of the least affected areas because of the protection it got from the reef. Although the reef was damaged from the Tsunami most of it is intact and you can view them by going on glass bottom boats. If you want to experience it close hand then you can go diving in the reef as well, although this will cost you a considerable extra amount. Hikkaduwa is also famous for delicious sea food and you can find many road side stalls and cards selling delicious sea food items. This is also a beach where you can go surfing, although it is not possible every time of the year.

Bentota Beach in Sri Lanka

Bentota is another famous Sri Lankan beach, renowned for its top quality hotels, built mainly with tourists in mind. It is very hard to book a hotel near the Bentota beach during the holiday season, which falls on November to February. One reason the Bentota beach is popular among tourists is the fact that it is not that far away from Colombo and also the beach is more secluded compared to other beaches near Colombo. Most tourists who come on business work choose a hotel or a beach resort near Bentota or the Beruwela beach to spend a weekend because of these reasons.
There are some five star hotels in the area with all the necessary facilities. As I mentioned before the hotels are mostly targeting tourists so generally you can expect a good service, especially if you are a tourist. The staff will be eager to help you and they can communicate in English. The food is prepared with the tourists in mind, even Sri Lankan dishes are not as spicy as usual and most hotels serve a great breakfast menu with lot of European delicacies.
Bentota beach area is generally not a great beach to go swimming but there are some areas that is great for sea bathing. You can go on boat rides, visit the nearby Island by boat or go fishing if you enjoy those kind of activities.

Mount Lavinia Beach

Mount Lavinia beach is the most famous beach that is closest to Colombo. It also has the most famous beach hotel near Colombo, The Mount Lavinia Hotel. This is a beach that attracts lots of locals so this isn't the place to spend a relaxing day at the beach.However it is safe for sea bathing and if you manage to make a reservation in one of the luxury hotels in the area, then you can sunbath at your leisure as well. However the Mount Lavinia beach is more renowned for its famous beach restaurants that serve delicious sea food. Having a spicy sea food dish by the sea side is a great experience for most tourists and if you visit one of the top restaurants in the are then you can be guaranteed of a first class service.Loon-Tao is the most renowned restaurant of the lot, with some tourists regularly visiting the place when they come on business trips to Colombo.
You want find many activities to do in Mount Lavinia beach and there are no good spots near the beach to go on snorkeling or surfing. However it is a great place to enjoy a drink while watching the beautiful sunset. If you are on a business trip and staying for a short while then Mount Lavinia hotel is the best place for you. It is a former governor's mansion converted into a hotel and it is renowned for its great food and first class service.If you have already booked your place elsewhere then you might want to visit the numerous sea food restaurants by the sea to enjoy a delicious meal.

Famous beaches in Sri Lanka

This website is dedicated to cover all the famous beaches in Sri Lanka. Listed below are some of the most famous beaches in Sri Lanka with a brief description about them. Follow the links after each one if you want to learn more about them. In those articles there are more detailed information, including activities available, best hotels to stay and how to get there.

Mount Lavinia Beach

The beach that is closest to Colombo, The commercial hub of Sri Lanka. This is usually crowded, especially on weekends. The area is famous for its sea food restaurants, and tourists regularly visit them when they are in Colombo. There are many hotels in the area, with Mount Lavinia Hotel being the most famous one. Unless there is heavy traffic it is only around 30 minutes drive from Colombo city.

Bentota Beach

Around two hours drive from Colombo, Bentota beach is ideal for tourists who don't want to travel too far from Colombo, but still wants to spend a relaxing day or two by the beach. The beach is not crowded and perfect for sunbathing. The sea is a bit rough in the area so it is advisable to check with the hotel whether its safe to go to the sea. There are few hotels in Bentota with Taj Exotica considered the most luxurious in the area.

Beruwela Beach

Another famous beach that is near Bentota.These two beaches are so close to each other sometimes they are referred as the Beruwela-Bentota beach area. Here also you can spend a relaxing holiday in a relatively secluded beach. The sea is a bit rough but if you can catch a boat ride to the nearby island it has a great beach area ideal for swimming. Price is relatively cheap compared to Mount Lavinia and Bentota.

Hikkaduwa Beach

Hikkaduwa is famous for beach parties and it is one of the favorite beach destinations of the local young crowd. Also Hikkaduwa has some of the best coral reef in the island and it is a great place to go snorkeling. You can view the corals by boat rides too, where they have glass bottomed boats. Since the beach is usually crowded it is not ideal for a relaxing holiday, but if you want to enjoy great sea food and have fun mixing with the locals then this is a great beach to visit.

Arugam Bay Beach

Considered one of the top ten surfing destinations in the world, this is a beach frequently visited by top surfers. Since this is to the east of the island away from Colombo you want find much of a crowd even during the weekends. As mentioned above the main focus is on surfing and there are plenty of surfing equipment to buy if you are in need. Also if you want to try your hand at surfing there are surfing lessons as well.

Negombo Beach area

Another beach are that is close to Colombo and even more closer to Katunayaka international airport. Tourists who are visiting purely for the sea bathing and sunbathing find this a very convenient beach area.There are lots of hotels and restaurants catering especially for tourists. Negombo is famous for sea food, especially various dishes prepared using prawns.

Nilaveli Beach area

One of the most purest white sand beaches in Sri Lanka. Inaccessible to locals for almost twenty years because of the civil war, people started flooding to the place after the war. The beach is safe for sea bathing and the nearby pigeon island is a great place to go snorkeling as well. Although it is very distant from Colombo you will find the beach crowded, especially in the weekends. However hotels have private beach areas where you can spend a relaxing holiday. There are few hotels and more are coming up to satisfy the demand.

If you feel more beaches need to be added to the list feel free to mention it in the comments section.