Hikkaduwa Beach

About this place

Hikkaduwa Beach is a strip of golden sand on Sri Lanka's southwest coast and one of the country's oldest seaside resort areas. Stretching on towards Thiranagama and Narigama, it combines surfing, snorkelling over coral and cafes open to the sea. In the 19th century, during British Ceylon, it was the great resort of picnic parties from Galle, with an economy based on fishing and coconuts before tourism took over. In the 1960s so many hippies came to live here that it was nicknamed Hippiduwa. The reef was declared a sanctuary in 1979 and became a marine national park in 2002, one of three in the country. You see waves breaking over rocks, stilt fishermen along some of the coast to the south, and restaurants and hotels behind the sand. In the shallows offshore you may see turtles and colourful fish, and glass-bottom boats operate here, though heavy visitor numbers have damaged the reef. Do not touch or stand on the coral, as fines have been imposed for damaging it. The beach lies about 18.3 km from Galle Lighthouse and 91.6 km from Colombo in a straight line, on the coastal railway. The best season is November to April, when the sea calms, while swimming can be dangerous in the monsoon. Avoid feeding the turtles, and take care on the busy main road running beside the beach.