Beaches

Sri lanka is encircled in clean, golden sands, with warm, azure blue seas. Pristine beaches are found all around the island providing year round choice of destinations. Though today Sri Lanka’s beaches are far from a secret, a degree of insider knowledge helps when it comes to picking the right stretch of coast to suit you. Whether you’re looking for social atmosphere or serious solitude, somewhere good to swim or with waves to surf, here are some pick of the top beaches in Sri Lanka.

West Coast

Sri Lanka’s west coast shows the island at its most developed and it’s most touristic. A string of fine beaches, backed by hundreds of hotels and guesthouses, peppers the coast from Negombo in the north to Hikkaduwa in the south.

South Coast

The south coast is one of Sri Lanka’s most rewarding areas to visit and the region offers gorgeous beaches, colonial towns, and superb wildlife parks. In addition, this coastline is home to a selection of some of the island’s most alluring places to stay, from luxurious beach hotels to atmospheric colonial-era villas. Travelers can find a never-ending range of things to do and see here.

East Coast

Sri Lanka’s east coast is unquestionably beautiful, but was off the tourist trail for many years due to the long-raging civil war. However, in the years following the end of the civil war in 2009, there has been slow and steady reconstruction and the region now looks to the future with renewed confidence.

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