Hiriketiya Beach is a small horseshoe-shaped bay at Dikwella on the south coast. It is about 22 km east of Matara and roughly three hours by road from Colombo. It began as a surfers’ hangout. Now there is board rental on the sand, with cafés and boutique hotels around the bay. The beach itself is small, so your experience depends on when you arrive and how well you surf or swim.
Is it worth visiting?
Go if you surf or want to learn. It also suits you if you like a compact bay with food and places to stay a few steps from the sand.
Think twice if you want an undeveloped beach or a quiet line-up. Recent visitors (2026) report a crowded line-up every day in the main season. They also report building that keeps going up around the bay.
Surfing and swimming
Surf guides describe two kinds of wave in the same bay. A gentle, sandy-bottom beach break suits beginners. A reef break in the middle and at the east end breaks over shallow rocks and sea urchins, and it is for experienced surfers only. Recent visitors say boards are easy to rent on the beach, and that surf schools work from the sand.
Swimming is a different question. Wikipedia describes the Dikwella coast as protected by headlands, reefs and sandbars, which makes it safer for swimming. It says you can snorkel near the headlands to see reef fish. That does not make Hiriketiya a pool.
The south-west monsoon, from May to September, brings rougher seas to this coast. Sri Lanka Tourism says the sea on the south-west coast is calm and the weather sunny from November to March. Ask the surf schools or a local about currents before you go in. If you are not an experienced surfer, stay out of the reef break.
A public beach with building problems
The beach is public. In early 2025 unauthorised sheds went up on the rocks along it. The Coast Conservation Department controls building in the coastal zone, and it issued demolition orders. In June 2025 its officers, with police support, removed 24 illegal constructions. They had been put up within 10 metres of the beach.
Beyond the bay
Dikwella has other sights. Wewurukannala Vihara, just outside town on the road to Beliatta, is known for its giant seated Buddha and a tunnel of hell scenes. Our Dikwella and Hiriketiya guide has the details and dress rules. To compare Hiriketiya with the better-known surf bays, read our guide to surfing in Weligama and South Coast or Arugam Bay for Surfing?.
Getting there
The coastal railway line from Colombo has run beyond Matara to Beliatta since April 2019, with a station at Wavurukannala. Check which trains stop there, and book reserved seats on the official Sri Lanka Railways booking site. By road, the A2 coast road continues east from Matara through Dikwella towards Tangalle.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Is Hiriketiya good for surfing?
Yes. It has a gentle beach break for beginners. A reef break in the middle and east of the bay is for experienced surfers. Recent visitors report a crowded line-up in the main season.
Is Hiriketiya good for swimming?
Wikipedia says the Dikwella coast is protected by headlands, reefs and sandbars, which makes it safer for swimming. The south-west monsoon (May to September) brings rougher seas, so ask locally about currents.
Is Hiriketiya beach public?
Yes. In June 2025 officials removed 24 illegal structures built within 10 metres of the beach.
How far is Hiriketiya from Matara?
About 22 km east of Matara, along the A2 coast road.
Header photo: Fredrik Öhlander / Unsplash (cropped).
