Hikkaduwa Beach

Hikkaduwa Beach runs along the main road of the beach town of Hikkaduwa. The town is about 17 km north-west of Galle, on the south-west coast. The beach is three things in one: a town beach, a reef lagoon you can see from a boat or snorkel, and a surf break in the winter months.

Is it worth visiting?

Go if you like a lived-in beach town rather than a resort. You get surf in season, a reef to look at, sea turtles and an evening scene, all within reach of Galle.

Think twice if you want pristine coral or a quiet, empty beach. The reef was badly hit by bleaching in 1998, when live coral cover fell from 47% to 13%. The town also has a reputation for nightlife.

Which part of the beach?

Hikkaduwa’s beach is a long stretch, not one bay. Different parts suit different plans:

• The reef lagoon in front of the town is where the glass-bottom boats moor. Hikkaduwa National Park protects it. Our guide to Hikkaduwa National Park covers the reef, the rules and the history.
• Turtle Beach, at the northern end of the beach, is also a popular spot for seeing sea turtles, according to Wikipedia.
• Narigama, however, is mostly a surf area. One recent guide says the waves make snorkelling hard there, so go to the lagoon for the reef.

Reef, turtles and what not to do

The Department of Wildlife Conservation lists boat safaris and snorkelling at Hikkaduwa among its marine tourism activities. The reef is the main reason to be in the water here. Hikkaduwa strictly prohibits touching coral. The Wildlife Conservation Department began restoring the reef in 2023, and in 2025 officials arrested and prosecuted one person who damaged it. So look, but don’t stand on it or break it off.

Don’t touch, feed or chase the turtles either. Conservation centres near the beach incubate turtle eggs and release hatchlings, but not every hatchery does its job well. A 2013 study of seven hatcheries in Galle District found that none followed best practice. All of them kept hatchlings in tanks for a day or more.

Surf season and swimming

Sri Lanka Tourism gives November to March, the dry season on this coast, as the best time for surfing here. Wikipedia says thousands of surfers come between October or November and March or April. Sri Lanka Tourism also says the sea on this south-west coast is calm from November to March. In the south-west monsoon, from May to September, the sea is rougher.

So take the warning signs seriously. In January 2025 the sea swept a young visitor away while they were swimming off Hikkaduwa. They had ignored the signs that mark dangerous zones. Swim where the flags and lifeguards say it is safe. Also ask your guesthouse which part of the beach is best that day.

The evenings

Hikkaduwa has a reputation for nightlife. Wikipedia also notes that one nightclub hosts the main party each night on a weekly rotation. If that is not your thing, choose a guesthouse away from the busiest stretch, and ask about noise before you book.

Getting there

Hikkaduwa also has a station on the coastal railway line from Colombo. You can book reserved seats on the official Sri Lanka Railways booking site. By road it is on the A2 coast road, about 98 km south of Colombo.

Nearby, at Peraliya, the train memorial and the large Buddha statue commemorate the 2004 tsunami. Our Hikkaduwa guide has the story. Further along the coast are the bay at Unawatuna and Galle.

Header photo: Sendaru Perera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Last checked 11 October 2026