HIRIKETIYA BEACH SRI LANKA – The Complete Guide
Hiriketiya beach is for several reasons in our opinion one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka. Also known as Hiriketiya bay or written as Hirikiteya, this horse shoe shaped bay is located on the south coast of Sri Lanka. It is one of the best surf and yoga spots in Sri Lanka with hipster cafes, a laidback vibe and palm trees hanging over the beach. Hiriketiya beach really is a jungle paradise, perfect for peace seekers. Read everything you need to know about Hiriketiya beach in this blog post!
Best tours in and around Hiriketiya
If you’re planning to explore the best of what Sri Lanka’s south coast has to offer, then these are the best guided tours. All of these tours include air conditioned transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and sometimes also lunch and the entrance fees. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.
- Whale watching in Mirissa. Get a chance to see blue whales, sperm whales, and fin whales as they swim in their natural habitat in Mirissa. A once in a lifetime experience!
- Yala safari experience with lunch at campsite. Experience a private full-day tour. Be collected from Galle or Mirissa to Yala National Park to witness leopards, bears, elephants, deer, crocodiles, and many more. Then enjoy a 4-course lunch with beer at Leopard Nest campsite in the jungle.
How to get to Hiriketiya beach
Hiriketiya beach is located on the south coast of Sri Lanka right next door to Dikwella. You can get to Hiriketiya by bus, Tuk Tuk or when you’ve rented a scooter. In our opinion renting a scooter is the best way to go because you’re way more flexible to get around. A Tuk Tuk is also a good option, because the bus stops around 20 min away from the beach.
But what is even a better idea, is to stay for a few days at Hiriketiya, like we did. We spend 4 days at this chill beach town in a beach bungalow and absolutely loved it! You can rent a scooter easily along the south coast so you can explore the rest of the beautiful Sri Lanka beaches.
What to expect at Hiriketiya beach
What was once a sleepy hidden beach town on Sri Lanka’s south coast with only a few wooden huts is quickly becoming THE place for Digital Nomads. Hip cafe’s serving smoothie bowls and vegan food, bronzed surfers riding the waves and salty-haired wanderers who found this chill place as well, are making Hiriketiya beach THE new hotspot of Sri Lanka’s south coast. But despite all this progress, Hiriketiya still manages to have the vibe of a chill laid back beach-and surf town where thick jungle meets the sea and time becomes totally irrelevant. What you can expect mostly at Hiriketiya beach are surfers, yoga fanatics and Digital Nomads.
The beach itself is not too wide, so I wouldn’t say it is the best beach for sun bathing. The waves can also be rough, so for swimming it’s also not the best bay but on the other hand, for surfers, chill sessions and the overall vibe, Hiriketiya beach is definitely a place you want to stay for a few days!
Digital Nomad community at Hiriketiya
After traveling through Sri Lanka for 3 weeks we needed to get some work done. As in editing photos, videos and writing new blog posts! There was no better place to do this than at the co-working and living place Verse Collective right next to Hiriketiya beach! This hip cafe, restaurant, co-working space and hostel allows traveling creatives to balance work & island life. The airy communal spaces have stunning ocean & palm jungle views and the cafe offers delicious coffee and various Western and Sri Lankan dishes.
Best places to eat at Hiriketiya beach
There are some really nice cafes and restaurants in Hiriketya that you might want to check out! Here is a selection of our favourites:
Verse Collective: To eat and work.
The Grove Lanka: For lunch or dinner.
Malu Poke: For the best smoothie bowls! We loved to eat our breakfast here.
Peter’s Place: A cosy restaurant right along the sea. The food is average but the overall vibe is really chill!
Dots Bay House Hiriketiya: Yummy food and a very cosy vibe!
Salt House: Great food and a lovely setting in the garden.
Things to do at Hiriketiya beach
Because of it’s chilled vibes and good waves, many surf and yoga lovers found their way to Hiriketiya bay. Hiriketiya is even slowly becoming one of Sri Lanka’s best surf destinations because it is the perfect place to learn surfing or to take your surfing skills to the next level.Â
More Sri Lanka travel inspiration
I hope you enjoyed this complete guide about Hiriketiya beach Sri Lanka.
For more Sri Lanka travel inspiration, head over to our other Sri Lanka travel guides:
20 best things to do in Sri Lanka – The Ultimate Guide
11 best Sri Lanka beaches – The Ultimate Guide
14 best waterfalls in Sri Lanka – The Ultimate Guide
Best things to do in Nuwara Eliya – The Ultimate Guide
11 best things to do in Trincomalee
Best things to do in Galle – The Complete Guide
15 best things to do in Ella – The Ultimate Guide
Best thing to do in Kandy – The Complete Guide
Lion Rock hike – The Complete Guide
This is the best place to combine your work with an excellent beach life! It seems a dream to work and live in this part of Sri Lanka. But your photos show us it is possible.
Hi Ilse, how nice to read about beautiful Hiriketiya beach at Sri Lanka. And then you show us the beautiful workspace at Verse Collective. Wow, who wouldn’t like to have an office like this ! Amazing.