Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa was Sri Lanka's original beach town, and it still delivers the classic combination: a long golden strip, mellow reef breaks that suit improving surfers, and a coral sanctuary where green turtles graze in water shallow enough to snorkel from the sand. The beach scene runs from morning yoga to candlelit seafood dinners with the waves a few metres away.

The town sits on the coastal railway, so it is an easy first or last stop between Colombo and Galle. Surf lessons fill the mornings, glass-bottom boats and snorkelling the afternoons, and the evening ritual is simple — a king coconut, a west-facing beach chair, and the sunset.

We've walked the trails, paid the fees, and rated every guide. Below: how to get there, when to skip it, and what nearby places pair well — the kind of advice a local friend would give.