Mirissa
Mirissa is a coastal gem in southern Sri Lanka and offers beautiful beaches with clear waters. It's famous for whale watching, with blue whales and dolphins often spotted. The crescent-shaped beach is great for surfing, snorkeling and sunbathing. Visit Parrot Rock for great views or Coconut Tree Hill for stunning sunsets. Mirissa offers lively nightlife with many beach bars and seafood restaurants, this town is perfect for both relaxation and adventure.
Mirissa beach, Parrot Rock and Black Sand Beach
Mirissa Beach is part of Mirissa Bay, a tropical paradise with white sand and azure waters. The beach has two sides, the Western side (Mirissa Beach) and the Eastern side (Black Sand Beach), divided by Parrot Rock.
The western side, Mirissa Beach, is the most beautiful, with the widest stretch of beach for hanging out and swimming. As the bay curves eastward, it meets Parrot Rock in the middle of the bay. The western end also has a decent right point break for surfers.
The eastern side has less beach, but more more restaurants, bars at Black Sand Beach. One of our favorite bars was Petti Petti Mirissa, a great place to hang out all day, though it's popular and can be a bit pricey.
Parrot Rock itself is a small rock island. Once on the rock, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Mirissa coastline and even see Coconut Tree Hill in the distance. It's free to visit and takes about 10 minutes to explore.
While the waves at Mirissa Beach are suitable for bodyboarding, the best surfing conditions can be found at nearby Weligama Beach. This expansive beach offers gentle, long waves perfect for learning to surf. There are numerous surf schools along the beach where you can take lessons, or you can rent a board for just Rs250 per hour (€1.25) to get started on your own. For larger waves and a chance to watch experienced surfers in action, head towards the end of the bay.
Turtle Beach
Right next to Black Sand Beach is a smaller beach called Turtle Beach Mirissa. As the name suggests, you can see turtles here. You can rent a snorkel and goggles, but there's no need to pay for a tour—you can see the turtles on your own.
Between Turtle Beach and Coconut Tree Hill, there are some small bars where you can have a drink with an amazing view on the bay. Our favorites are SunSet Bar and especially Mirissa Seastar, this hotel has the best bar around! You can easily reach these bars from the main road and Coconut Tree Hill Road.
Coconut Tree Hill
There is a probability that you have seen Coconut Tree Hill on a traveler's Instagram profile before. These coconut trees sit on a cliff overlooking the ocean and the coastline of Mirissa.
The dome-shaped hill with tall trees against the blue sky and sea, makes for perfect travel photos. Sunset chasers should arrive early to secure the best viewing spot, as this place gets very popular by nightfall.
Secret Beach
Secret Beach is no longer a true secret, as many people now know about it. Originally enjoyed only by locals, it's now easy to find, any tuk-tuk driver can take you there, or you can walk there in 20 min from Mirissa beach. The path does have some steep parts, so you better wear good shoes.
In my experience, it's a nice place to hang out, but it was gets easily crowded because it is such a tiny beach. The small bar and restaurant on the beach looked cozy.
