I was born in Hikkaduwa. When I bring someone here, I’m not working from a guidebook — I’m showing you the town I grew up in, which is a different thing entirely.

Hikkaduwa is on the south coast, about 100km from Colombo. Most visitors come for the beach, and the beach is good. But if you stay on the main strip, you’ll miss most of what makes Hikkaduwa actually worth coming to.

What sets Hikkaduwa apart from every other south coast beach

The coral reef. Hikkaduwa National Park sits just offshore, and it’s one of the few places in Sri Lanka where you can snorkel directly from the beach onto living coral. Green turtles and hawksbill turtles come to feed in the shallows — most mornings, when the sea is calm, you’ll see them without trying very hard. The turtle hatchery in town is also worth a visit if you want to understand the conservation work happening here.

The surf break at Hikkaduwa is a beach break that suits beginners to intermediate surfers. It works well between November and April when the southwest swell is running.

What I actually show people here

The reef and the turtles, obviously. But also the local fish market early in the morning — fishermen bring in the catch before sunrise, and it’s a completely different side of the town from what you’ll see at 10am. The back streets behind the beach strip are where the real Hikkaduwa still lives: family temples, rice and curry places that have been feeding the same families for decades, the kind of neighbourhood where people know each other by name.

I know which part of the reef has the best turtle activity each morning. I know which restaurants cook the fish fresh that day. I know the spots that haven’t made it into any travel list yet. That’s what growing up here gives you — and it’s something you won’t find with a guide who’s only passing through.

When to come

October to April is when the south coast works best. The sea is calm, the reef is clear, and the surf is running. From May to September the southwest monsoon brings rough seas — too rough for reef snorkelling, too big for beginner surfers, and a number of beach businesses close down. It’s not impossible to visit but it’s not the right time for the things that make Hikkaduwa worth the trip.

Getting here

Hikkaduwa is about two hours from Colombo by train — and that train ride along the coast is one of the best in the country. By road it’s similar. It sits 20km north of Galle on the same coastal stretch, so it fits naturally into any south coast route.

---

FAQ

Can you snorkel at Hikkaduwa without a guide? Yes — equipment rental is easy to find on the beach. But knowing where the turtles are that morning, which stretch of reef is healthy, and which part of the water to avoid is local knowledge. I grew up snorkelling these waters.

Are the sea turtles reliable? Nothing in wildlife is certain, but green turtles are resident in Hikkaduwa year-round, and morning sessions in calm conditions have a very high hit rate. Hawksbill turtles are rarer but we do see them.

Is Hikkaduwa very crowded with tourists? The main beach road is. Walk two streets back and you’re in a normal Sri Lankan coastal town. I can take you to both versions — the reef is the reef wherever you swim, but how you experience the town around it depends entirely on where you choose to go.

Can I visit Hikkaduwa on a day trip from Galle? Yes, easily. It’s 20km, roughly 30 minutes. I live in Galle and regularly combine the two in a single day depending on what someone wants to see.