The beaches of Sri Lanka

The majority of my time in Sri Lanka was spent near the sea, so here is a collection of my favourite photos from beaches all over the island.

Colombo

The capital lies on the West coast of Sri Lanka. The beaches in town aren't the best for swimming, but the views along Galle Face Green are awesome. The Galle Face Hotel is the oldest in Sri Lanka and a great place for a drink at sunset.

Negombo

Negombo is 37km North of Colombo and just 7km from the Colombo International Airport, making it a great starting point when visiting Sri Lanka. If you want to meet fishermen and get invited onto the boats for a morning session, this is a great place.

Hikkaduwa

Being one of the first beaches along the south coast that sees tourists, Hikkaduwa is very developed and not the most peaceful spot on the island. Great place for surf and partying though.

Mirissa

Possibly my favourite beach in Sri Lanka. Very relaxing place further along the south coast.

Tangalle

Quiet and tranquil Tangalle. Great place to be alone and walk for hours along a beautiful fairly unspoilt beach.

Weligama

Home to Taprobane Island just 200 yards off the coast. Well worth a quick stop to see this island and hopefully catch the stilt fisherman in action.

Arugam Bay

Surfers Paradise. Very popular with both beginner and expert surfers making it a buzzing backpacker town in season. Also, The Beach Hut in Arugam Bay was probably the best place I stayed in Sri Lanka.

Nilaveli

Also on the east coast, Nilaveli is around 20km from the larger Trincomalee. Tourism here was severely affected by both the 2004 tsunami and the Sri Lankan Civil War. However, I was told much of the land has been sold to property developers and within several years Nilaveli and Uppuveli will be back on the tourist map.

Uppuveli

Closer to Trincomalee and just 6km from Nilaveli, Uppuveli has cheap eateries and guesthouses making it ideal for backpackers. The sea is brilliant for swimming and a walk to Nilaveli takes you past the picturesque fishing village of Salli.

Jaffna - Point Pedro

Jaffna was a real highlight for me and although I was there for 8 nights I didn't see all of the excellent beaches. Not the best for relaxing and swimming but well worth the journey.