Sri Lanka is a world-famous destination for the most incredible and charming beaches, which are located along the coastal line of the island. Among them, southern Sri Lanka has some of the most spectacular beaches on the whole island. Lush green palm trees, white sand, and turquoise blue waters make a spectacular scenery. You may not believe still there are some unspoiled hidden beaches in Sri Lanka, untouched by the crowds.
Southern beaches like Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, or Mirissa are a perfect choice for spectacular views with marvelous sunsets. But these beaches are hugely famous attractions among both local and foreign visitors, hence they are always crowded. If you love a calm and quiet beach holiday destination away from the crowd, you may need to find a peaceful, hidden beach. Rather than visiting these famous beaches, the hidden beaches are ideal to admire the views and enjoy the taste of island life.
Here we have made a list of 7 gorgeous hidden beaches in Sri Lanka, for those who love a secluded and peaceful beach hideaway. We have put together this information based on our own local knowledge. Without a doubt, the beaches mentioned here are located away from major beaches and hidden from the views of a lot of visitors. They make the best beach destinations ideal for a quiet and peaceful holiday in down south Sri Lanka.
1. Jungle Beach in Unawatuna
Unawatuna beach in Galle is a hugely famous attraction in southern Sri Lanka. But many visitors aren’t aware that there is a beautiful, hidden beach just 3 km from the main beach. This secluded, hidden gem is called jungle beach.
Jungle beach is a quiet, little beach around 150 m long, with an amazing beachfront to enjoy the best waves in Unawatuna bay. You can watch the infinite sea and the Unawatuna bay area from this amazing place.
Accessing the beach is a bit challenging, you need to hike up along the jungle beach road and climb down through the vegetation to enter the beach. This jungle pathway to the beach will give you a wonderful experience. The hike to the beach takes around half an hour and it is certainly worth visiting this less crowded, spectacular beach.
Your visit will reward you with breathtaking views of the Unawatuna bay area. This is a nice beach that gives the opportunity to relax in an isolated stretch of unspoiled, pristine beach. Since the jungle beach is protected by the Bonavista reef, it has no strong waves or currents. It is ideal for a refreshing dip in calm waters.
Jungle beach is a wonderful place with a serene and magical feeling to it. This small beach is mostly empty, and you can enjoy a peaceful time. You could lie on the beach and lose all track of time in a relaxed state, listening to the whispers of the gentle waves of Unawatuna bay.
2. Secret Beach in Mirissa
The charming secret beach is around 2 km from the main Mirissa Beach. It is far less crowded than the main beach and the best place to chill out and catch some waves. Secret beach is wonderful for relaxing, soaking up in the sun, and taking a dip in the blue waters.
Although the waves are rough here, there are three secured places to discover on the secret beach. They call as blue lagoon, shelly beach, and palm cove. There is a wall of rock that creates a lagoon, where the water is shallow and calm enough to swim making this one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka.
Tucked away from the busy Mirissa beach, the secret beach is a completely worthy place to visit. You can swim in the crystal-clear rock pools there. Its clear waters and lively waves make this beach ideal for enjoying a sea bath. Secret beach is one of the most inviting hidden beaches on the island. Therefore, don’t forget to visit this paradise beach while visiting southern Sri Lanka.
3. Talalla Beach in Matara
Talalla Beach is a secluded, unspoiled beach located 14 km from the main Matara beach. It is a gentle curve of golden sandy bay beach with a quiet environment. It has lush green vegetation with coconut palms surrounding the beach.
Talalla Beach is an uncrowded beach, ideal for enjoying a peaceful time. It is one of the nicest beaches to have a dip in the warm Blue Ocean with no strong current. Spectacular Hiriketiya Bay, the surfing capital of southern Sri Lanka, is located only a twenty-minute drive away from Talalla Beach.
If you like to learn about yoga, there are some popular places in Talalla. You can enjoy some nice morning yoga sessions at Talalla Retreat. They offer daily morning yoga sessions in a spacious yoga hall inside the resort. Talalla Beach is a world-class surf destination for beginners and intermediate or advanced surfers alike. Don’t forget to join a surf camp and enjoy your surfing experience on this lovely beach.
4. Silent Beach in Tangalle
Tangalle in Hambantota city is widely famous as a beach paradise with turquoise water and a miles-long palm-fringed coast. It has been named as the top destination not to miss in Sri Lanka by Lonely Planet in 2019. Although it is one of the major beach destinations, still there are plenty of hidden beaches in the Tangalle area. One such gorgeous secluded beach is called the silent beach.
If you are looking for a quiet beach with only a few visitors, the silent beach might be at the top of your list. It is a beautiful and quiet beach located 3 km from Tangalle. As the name suggests, it is a calm and peaceful place best for a romantic getaway.
It has amazing white sand and crystal-clear water lined by palm trees for long distances. It is perfect for strolling, relaxing, or just lazing around admiring the beautiful views. Although the scenery is spectacular, the waves are rough in this area. Therefore, swimming should be done with care on the silent beach. Adults can swim with caution, but waves may be too strong for kids.
5. Goyambokka Beach in Tangalle
Along with Silent beach, Goyambokka beach is a perfectly secluded place in Tangalle. It is located around 3 km from the centre of Tangalle town, closer to the silent beach. This beach is a wide, sandy beach with rocky outcrops on the sides. You’ll see ample palm trees and lots of rock formations.
Goyambokka Beach is undoubtedly an incredible and peaceful beach filled with natural beauty and serenity. Since there are only a few visitors, it is possible to have a dreamy and relaxing time far from crowded beaches. It is a nice place for hammock time admiring beautiful views around.
It is idyllic for relaxing and soaking up the sunshine during a romantic getaway, to have the entire beach for yourself. If you like to enjoy a sea bath, it is best to check the conditions beforehand. Because the currents here can be quite rough.
6. Kahandamodara Beach in Tangalle
Almost untouched, Kahandamodara is another secluded beach worth visiting in Tangalle. It is located around 18 km from the main Tangalle beach. It is a clean, unspoiled place, ideal for an offbeat holiday. This beach starts from the freshwater lagoon Kahandamodara and stretches between the blue waves and lush green palm trees. The beach around this area is among the top hidden beaches you will find down south of Sri Lanka.
The long beach is hidden from the view by a thicket of shrubby trees. Even though the beach seems deserted, several nearby resorts offer a number of amenities, including food and recreational activities.
Certainly, visitors can remain close to nature and blend with the natural beauty of its surroundings on Kahandamodara Beach. The tranquillity of this area is seldom found elsewhere. There’s no better place to view the marvelous sunset while enjoying the cool breeze coming from the ocean.
7. Marble Beach in Trincomalee
Sri Lanka’s eastern coast is quite popular among beach lovers. Stunning beaches in Passikudah, Nilaveli, and Pigeon Island are widely popular destinations. There is a gorgeous hidden beach on the eastern coast, 16 km from Trincomalee. This beach is called Marble Beach.
Without a doubt, this beach can clearly be put among the top beaches in the world. With soft powdery white sands and clear turquoise waters, Marble Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The name Marble Beach is derived from the fact that when the sea is calm on a clear and bright day, the surface is shining like marble.
Marble Beach remains distinctively calm and clear as glass throughout the year. The sea on the marble beach is shallow, without strong currents ideal for swimming for both adults and kids. You can walk out over a hundred meters into the sea, without the water reaching the chest. It is one of the best places in Sri Lanka for snorkelling and diving.
Despite Sri Lanka’s greater popularity as a beach paradise, there are still plenty of unspoiled hidden beaches in the country. These lovely beaches are the best places to enjoy a peaceful beach time, away from the crowds. All the hidden beaches mentioned here boast white sands, clear turquoise waters, an unhurried vibe, and only a few visitors. You’ll feel that you are in a truly tropical paradise and lost all track of time to have a blissful holiday. Welcome guys, Enjoy the pristine hidden beaches in Sri Lanka!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay, Dreamstime, and Twitter. All copyrights are reserved by original authors.
As always, your post is well written and interesting—- but I wonder how up to date this is, regarding the impact on western beaches by the huge tanker fire off the coast that occurred this spring.
Hi Lisa, Thank you very much for the comment. As you have said, the tanker fire caused a huge impact on marine life. Many deaths of marine organisms were reported. But these days there aren’t many such reports. Experts are working on removing the oil spills, hope everything will be fine soon.