Bentota or Hikkaduwa? Choosing a West-Coast Beach

Bentota and Hikkaduwa are the two big beach towns on the south-west coast between Colombo and Galle, about 30 km apart on the same railway and the same A2 road. Bentota is the older, more polished resort, built around a river mouth, with hotels, river trips and water sports. Hikkaduwa is a lived-in beach town with a reef lagoon, turtles, surf in season and a nightlife reputation.

Pick Bentota for an easy resort break close to Colombo, especially if you like a river and water sports. Pick Hikkaduwa for snorkelling, surfing and a livelier town.

Bentota: river, resort and water sports

Bentota was one of Sri Lanka’s first planned resorts: the Bentota National Holiday Resort opened in 1969, and Geoffrey Bawa’s Bentota Beach Hotel is described as the country’s first resort hotel. The town sits on the southern bank of the Bentota River where it meets the sea, about 65 km south of Colombo, with a long, wide beach and a row of established hotels.

The river is half the point. Boat trips run up into the mangroves, and Sri Lanka Tourism lists Bentota among the prime water-sports sites on the southern coast. If you try jet-skiing, pick a licensed operator and ask to see the licence. Inland, Bevis Bawa’s Brief Garden is a short drive away.

Hikkaduwa: reef, turtles and surf

Hikkaduwa is about 98 km south of Colombo and 17 km north-west of Galle. Its shallow reef lagoon, with glass-bottom boats moored inside, is protected as Hikkaduwa National Park, and hawksbill, green and olive ridley turtles visit. The coral isn’t pristine, though: bleaching in 1998 cut live coral cover from 47% to 13%.

Sri Lanka Tourism gives November to March as the best surf season. Our Hikkaduwa Beach guide explains which stretch suits swimming, snorkelling or surfing. The town also has a reputation for nightlife, so ask about noise before you book a room on the busiest stretch.

Side by side

• Feel: Bentota is a quieter resort of hotels; Hikkaduwa a busier town with an evening scene.
• In the water: Bentota for jet-skis and river trips; Hikkaduwa for snorkelling over the reef and surfing.
• Distance from Colombo: Bentota is about 65 km away, so it’s easy for a first or last night; Hikkaduwa is about 98 km.
• Trains: both are on the coastal line. Many trains stop at Aluthgama, just across the river from Bentota, rather than Bentota itself.
• Nearby: from Bentota, Bawa’s gardens; from Hikkaduwa, Galle Fort and Unawatuna are closer.

Swimming: take care at both

Neither beach is a calm pool. At Bentota, a visitor drowned in a strong current near the breakwater in February 2025, and in April 2026 a young man was swept out to sea. At Hikkaduwa, a visitor was swept away in January 2025 after ignoring warning signs. The south-west monsoon, from May to September, brings rough seas to both. Swim where it is calm, keep away from breakwaters, follow the flags and lifeguards, and see our guide to swimming safety.

Both coasts are at their best from about November to April.

Turtle hatcheries

You’ll pass several hatcheries on the coast between the two towns. Choose carefully: a 2013 study of seven hatcheries in Galle District found that none followed best practice, and all kept hatchlings in tanks for a day or more. To see turtles in the wild, snorkel at Hikkaduwa without touching them, or head further south for the Rekawa turtle watch.

Header photo: Pavan Lulla / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Last checked 21 October 2026