This place, framed on all sides by a warm ocean and evergreen palm trees, will appeal to any tourist. It is definitely one of the best beaches in the Republic of Sri Lanka.
The article provides information about the best beaches in Hikkaduwa.
Location
Hikkaduwa resort is located about 120 kilometers from Colombo International Airport. It occupies the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. You can get to it by train, bus.
Administratively, the town belongs to the Galle district (Southern province of the state of Sri Lanka). Its entire territory extends along the coast of the ocean. This is a peninsula formed by the bend of the river, which flows into the lake of the same name with the city.
A small resort town is a pretty cozy place in which life proceeds measuredly and very calmly. Despite the lack of daily nightly entertainment, this relatively quiet resort is very popular among young people (reviews of Hikkaduwa beaches are presented later in the article).
general description
This resort town has everything you need for a good vacation: a lot of accommodation (from cheap guest houses to budget and expensive hotels), cafes and restaurants, bike and car rental, surf school, spa, tour agencies, banks, shops, ATMs etc. There are also supermarkets.
In the 70s of the XX century, the beaches of Hikkaduwa (see photo in the article) were chosen by hippies, and since then this place has been gaining popularity every year. It should be especially noted that for lovers of a less crowded and relaxing holiday this place is the most suitable. The number of permanent residents in the city is much less than the number of tourists coming to it. Guest houses are located across the road from Hikkaduwa Beach, and in considerable numbers.
In the beach season (December - April) the sky is always clear here, and the water in the ocean is calm. Nevertheless, the most comfortable time for rest is the very beginning or end of the season. The air temperature at any time of the year is around 30 degrees or more, and the water temperature is always in the range of 24-28 degrees. In the off-season, the ocean is more hectic, and therefore the water near the coast becomes muddy. Small restaurants and hotels do not work at this time, and in half-empty open establishments mainly Sri Lankans rest (the official name of the inhabitants of Sri Lanka).
Beaches
The beach area here is quite beautiful and very clean, and its total length is about seven kilometers. The sand strip is visually divided into 3 parts:
- An area where the waves are small and there are many vacationers (a great place for tourists with children).
- Tourist area with bars and sunbeds, where huge waves (paradise for surfers).
- Paradise wild beaches, where almost no people (not always convenient descent into the ocean).
The city has two official beaches: Hikkaduwa (reviews later in the article) and Narigama.
Hikkaduwa beach
This narrow sand strip is quite densely built up with various hotels, shops and bars. The bottom of the beach is mostly rocky, and therefore the waves running onto the shore contain almost no sand, but have a transparent blue tint. Almost no waves on the beach site of the Hikka Trans Hotel.
Hikkaduwa Beach is often called the lagoon. Its length is 1.5 km. There are several large hotels located here, such as Hikkaduwa Beach Hotel, Coral Sands, Hikka Tranz, Bansei by Hotel J.
This beach is good because there is a coral reef nearby, protecting the coast from waves. Thanks to this, you can almost always swim here. However, there is one minus - a lot of people (many, and even Sri Lankans come here to swim).
Narigama Beach
In Hikkaduwa, this is the largest and widest beach (4 km long) with a rather gentle descent into the water. There are waves here, but due to the presence of coral reefs, they are not very high. The beach infrastructure is quite developed. This beach area starts from the cape where the Hikka Tranzm hotel is located, and most of the guest houses and hotels of the entire resort town are concentrated here.
It is worth noting that Narigama along its entire length is not equally good. At the very beginning (behind the cape) the beach area is very narrow, therefore unsuitable for swimming, and some buildings are too close to the water, and in some places there is erosion, which local residents compensate with sandbags. It is in this part of the beach area that budget houses and hotels are densely located, some of which have swimming pools. There are also restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, rental of various water equipment, etc. Not a good place for hotels on this part of Narigama beach in Hikkaduwa. Reviews of tourists who have been here say that the areas at the hotels are small. On the one hand, they are sandwiched closely by the approaching Indian Ocean, and on the other, by a noisy road, which does not suit everyone. In addition, cafes with noisy night parties are located close to this particular area of the beach.
The central part of Narigama is very wide and comfortable. This is the busiest and most beautiful place. It’s more convenient to swim here, and the waves are softer and more beautiful than in the western part, where it is already deep near the shore. And the quietest place is closer to the southern end of the beach.
Behind the first line of guest houses, hotels and cafes in the town of Hikkaduwa, there is a busy and noisy road on Galle (historic city).
Water sports
Rest on the beaches of Hikkaduwa allows you to not only calmly swim in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and sunbathe under the tropical sun. Here you can start various water sports: snorkeling, diving, surfing. There are several schools on the beach that offer surfing lessons for children and adults. They are conducted by experienced instructors.
There are also several diving centers that provide the services of professional instructors. They work only during the dry season (October - April).
The bulk of tourists coming to this resort area rarely visit the city to see the ancient cultural monuments and other attractions, preferring sports and beach activities to this. Although the city has something to see. Below are some interesting places of this resort.
Monument to the victims of the Tsunami
Not far from the Shinigama Temple is the Tsunami Honganji Vihara memorial complex, erected after the tsunami in 2004 and dedicated to the memory of the dead (35 thousand people). It was in this place that a huge tsunami wave was demolished from the railway lines, in which there were 1,700 passengers, including tourists from other countries.
It should be noted that the Buddha statue (height - 18.5 meters), looking at the ocean, was donated by Japan. The museum in the neighboring village of Tellvatta presents a voluminous photo exhibition dedicated to these tragic events. Photos cause quite strong and heavy emotions.
Turtles
There is a turtle beach in Hikkaduw where you can see real sea turtles living in a natural environment. They sail daily to the beach in the lagoon, to the site located directly opposite the Red Lobster restaurant, next to the Hicka Trans Hotel. To see this miracle, many tourists come here in the morning. These huge turtles are harmless and cute, they can be photographed and fed.
There is an opportunity to even swim beside them in masks, which is an incredibly interesting activity.
Hikkaduwa Coral Reef
Formerly very large and beautiful, the coral reef suffered quite a lot in 2004 during the tsunami. It is located about 50 meters from the coastline and stretches along it at a distance of about 300 meters, forming a lagoon. The reef is opposite the large Coral Sands and Coral Rock hotels.
You can view the reef by snorkeling or on a boat with a glass bottom, which is not so interesting (not very visible).
Hikkaduwa Lake
The second most popular place in the city after the beaches of Hikkaduwa is the lake of the same name, which attracts tourists by boat trips in a calm water surface, as well as the opportunity to see with your own eyes the features of an unhurried everyday Sri Lankan life.
On the numerous islands located around the lake, residents grow bananas, coconut, ginger, cinnamon, etc. On the ducts, in the dams, nets are installed in which river shrimps are grown. On the territory of one of the islands there is a museum, the exhibits of which are handmade art objects of the locals. The lake itself is a bird sanctuary.
Hotels and guest houses
Hikkaduwa is very developed in terms of housing. Hotels here are located literally at every step. On the front page there are hotels mainly with a large price tag, but the price is not everywhere and always corresponds to quality. Comfortable options can be chosen on the second lane from Hikkaduwa Beach. In hotels located in the depths of the island, the rooms are in most cases clean and for good money.
For example, a front page number can be rented for $ 30 per day. It will have a bed and a rusty bathroom. The room will be without air conditioning (with it $ 10 more expensive), and the only bonus is the view of the ocean. An excellent room on the second strip from the beach can be rented for $ 25 per day. It has air conditioning, a wardrobe, fan, white linens and clean towels, as well as a shared kitchen with kitchenware, a fridge and a washing machine.
Cafe
After spending a wonderful time relaxing on the beaches of Hikkaduwa, you can visit the cafes, which are abundant in this resort (both budget and expensive). True, sanitary conditions, according to many tourists, leave much to be desired. This is especially true of institutions belonging to the budget class. The portions in restaurants and cafes are unusually large. True, their food is almost all spicy, so for those who do not like spices, it is best to ask the waiters so that the dishes are not very pepper.
Of alcoholic beverages, beer "Leon" is preferred, since it is on the island the most pleasant and not expensive of all available.
Night life
Fans of nightly entertainment should remember that you should not expect such a magnitude of nightlife in Hikkaduwa as in Pattaya. There are several nightclubs in the city with a wide variety of reputations, including Mambo's, Funky de Bar, Blue Moon and The Vibration Music Bar. They work until one in the morning.
However, young travelers should remember that conflicts with the local population in such institutions are not uncommon.
Reviews
Hikkaduwa beaches are very different, there are plenty to choose from. The general impression of this resort area is good for tourists. Perhaps mainly due to the beautiful nature and crystal clear water. Especially noted are the beaches in the south-west of the resort, which are wild. Peace and silence always reign on them. It creates the feeling that it is a desert island. Lovers of sunbathing on the coast, covered with pleasant, fine, golden sand, as well as splashing in the warm transparent waves of the ocean and lie in the shade of coconut palms, you should definitely go here.
Many people wonder if there are toilets on the beaches in Hikkaduwa. Judging by the information available on the sites and the reviews, they are not there. But many tourists note spacious and clean beach areas, good infrastructure development (compared to other resorts of this state), the ability to swim in places where there are no waves, and chat with cute sea turtles. There are magnificent sunsets over the ocean and there are a large number of beautiful young people coming from all over the world, since the beaches here are mostly surfer.