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What are the top 11 places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka?

Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

Mirissa Sri Lanka is located in southern Sri Lanka, near Matara. This south coast beach resort is considered a leading tourist attraction in Matara. Mirissa is primarily a beach holiday destination and offers many activities for leisure travellers such as beach hopping, surfing, diving, snorkelling, boating and many other water sports activities. Apart from being a beach holiday destination, mirissa is the most popular destination in Sri Lanka for whale and dolphin watching. It is very easy to spot whales in Mirissa and therefore local companies such as Seerendipity tours offer guaranteed whale watching tours based in Mirissa.

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Mirissa Sri Lanka is located in southern Sri Lanka, near Matara. This south coast beach resort is considered a leading tourist attraction in Matara. However, compared to most other beach resorts in southern Sri Lanka such as Koggala, Mirissa does not attract many holiday seekers. Mirissa is primarily a beach holiday destination and offers many activities for leisure travellers such as beach hopping, surfing, diving, snorkelling, boating and many other water sports activities. Apart from being a beach holiday destination, mirissa is the most popular destination in Sri Lanka for whale and dolphin watching. It is very easy to spot whales in Mirissa and therefore local companies such as Seerendipity tours offer guaranteed whale watching tours based in Mirissa.

Mirissa is considered to be a budget tour destination in Sri Lanka similar to Hikkaduwa. Mirissa attracts a large number of solo and backpacking tourists and most of the frequent travellers are very young. Mirissa is a laid-back village on the south coast of Sri Lanka and offers many interesting activities for travellers. Mirissa beach is a popular place for beach tour packages on the south coast. Whale watching, swimming with sea turtles, diving, sea bath, sunbath, and surfing are some of the popular activities in Mirissa.

Where is Mirissa Sri Lanka?

This beautiful south coast resort sandwich between Galle and Matara. Mirissa Sri Lanka the popular beach resort in the south is about 170 km from Colombo, and it takes about 2 hours to reach the destination from the Airport.

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How to find the best travel route to Mirissa?

Finding the best travel route in Sri Lanka to reach Mirissa will not be a tricky job. There are 2 major travel routes to reach Mirissa from Colombo. Both are popular travel routes that lead to south coast cities in Sri Lanka. If you take the popular A-2 main road from Colombo, Mirissa sits between popular Galle and Matara and you will drive about 4 hours to reach Mirissa. Taking the southern expressway enables the travellers to visit Mirissa within 2 hours of drive from Colombo, however, the travellers will miss many interesting tourist places on this route.

 It is boasted to have one of the most beautiful, secluded beaches in Sri Lanka and provides affordable hotels for budget-conscious travellers. Due to the low popularity as a beach holiday destination, despite the splendid sandy beaches, Mirissa beach does not attract as many tourists as most other beach resorts in Sri Lanka such as Bentota and Negombo.

Despite the pristine beaches, Mirissa is not included in most Sri Lanka package tours. I believe it is mainly due to the lack of facilities for travellers. The travellers can find a large number of small rest houses and guest houses providing basic accommodation facilities. But there are only very small hotels that provide luxury accommodation. However, tour groups make a brief stop in mirissa, in order to take part in a whale watching tour, which is one of the most sought-after activities in southern Sri Lanka.

When is the best time to visit Mirissa?

Finding the best time to visit Mirissa is very important because visiting Mirissa during the rainy season keeps you stuck in the beach resort for many days. Mirissa is located in southern Sri Lanka and it’s under the influence of the southwest monsoon. The best time to travel to Sri Lanka is from November to April, during this period, most part of the island remains dry including beaches like Mirissa on the south and west coast. The main rainy season falls in Mirissa from April to October.

Mirissa is a budget holiday destination

Mirissa beach is a budget holiday destination in Sri Lanka and suitable for a budget tour similar to Hikkaduwa and attracts a large number of solo and backpackers. More than 90 per cent of the travellers, who come to these beaches, are repeated travellers and most of them have been here many times. Most of the travellers attracted to these beaches are individual travellers and organise their accommodation through the internet or private contacts.

Mirissa harbour

Where to eat in Mirissa

The secluded beaches of Mirissa give the holidaymakers a very tranquil atmosphere for an enjoyable holiday. As I mentioned already, Mirissa is a leading beach holiday spot among thrifty travellers. Mirissa attracts mainly the young crowd, who travel independently. Mirissa is well developed to accommodate this type of traveller, who is highly concerned about the travel budget. Therefore most facilities and amenities available in Mirissa are well adapted to provide their services at an affordable rate.

If you are concerned about where to eat in Mirissa, the opportunities are endless. A large number of restaurants and eateries can be found on the beaches of Mirissa as well as along the main road that cuts through Mirissa town. Many dozens of other restaurants are lineup along the main road. Mirissa is a popular fishing village and fresh seafood is one of the most popular products in Mirissa. Therefore, many seafood restaurants around Mirissa give the choice of tasty seafood.

Places to visit from Mirissa Sri Lanka: Galle

The nearby city of Galle is just 15 minutes away from Mirissa beach, which is a popular tourist attraction and UNESCO world heritage site on the island. Galle is a beautiful city by the Indian Ocean; and has a very rich and vibrant history and culture. Galle had been the centre of the spice trade during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial eras. Galle still plays a big role in the economy of Sri Lanka.

Places to stay in Mirissa Sri Lanka

The tourism infrastructure is yet to be developed in many ways in Mirissa, especially for luxury seekers. You are not able to see big hotels on Mirissa beach, there are no large-scale accommodation providers, which is an acute shortcoming of Mirissa as a beach holiday destination, and a large number of small guesthouses and rest houses are the accommodation options for holidaymakers.

Due to the sluggish development of infrastructure, the natural environment of Mirissa is still largely intact, especially the beach. Other than the beach bars, beach restaurants and nearby guest houses and rest houses there are no noteworthy constructions to disturb the holidaymakers.

There are no large-scale Mirissa hotels and most Mirissa hotels are small and can accommodate around 20-30 guests at a time. Most Mirissa hotels are categorised under guest houses, rest houses, dormitories, and homestays. The number of star-class hotels in Mirissa is very few.

Mirissa hotels provide very comfortable and safe accommodation facilities for travellers, who choose Mirissa beach for their beach holidays. Due to the competition among the owners of Mirissa hotels, the services and facilities are of very high quality compared to the prices demanded by them.

Most Mirissa hotels are just a few meters away from Mirissa beach because Mirissa beach is the main attraction here and almost every traveller demands easy access to Mirissa beach. In the recent past, several new luxurious boutique hotels were constructed due to the increasing demand from high-end travellers. Most boutique hotels have a limited number of rooms and can accommodate only a few customers at a time.

Paradise beach club is one of the very few middle-class Mirissa hotels. This Mirissa hotel is located just on the beach giving you the pleasure of sea breeze all day long. It offers a lovely setting for your beach holiday you can have a sea view room and step into the beach whenever you need. All rooms at Paradise beach club have Air conditioning, a Minibar and a TV. WIFI is available for in-house guests at no extra fee. All rooms are spacious and located around the pool. If you wish to stay at Mirissa beach club please write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com to get to know about the rates and availability.

Is it easy to find a place to live here?

There is a large number of family hotels with few rooms and most of these properties provide an attached bathroom for each room. Therefore you can expect the safety and privacy you required. A single room costs around $15 per night. If you can afford to pay slightly more than that (  about $ 5) you can go for an air-conditioned room without any trouble. Most travellers prepare food for themselves while some others depend on nearby beach restaurants for their meals.

What are the top 11 places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka?

1. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka: Secret Beach

As the name suggests it is s a secret beach in Mirissa and visited by very few travellers. Since it is largely isolated this is a place to have a calm and quiet time and witness a gorgeous sunset.

2. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka: Parrot rock:

This is a rock formation to be found on the beach of Mirissa. You can climb the rock and have a look around the area.

3. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka: Coconut palm

15 minutes away from the Mirissa beach resort, quite easy to get there and the sunset is breathtaking.

4. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka: Whale watching:

Whale watching is one of the most popular activities in Mirissa and Mirissa is the starting point of most whale watching trips. A large number of travellers gather here every day to start their whale-watching adventure.

5. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka: Visiting Unawatuna

Unawatuna is one of the best beaches on the southern coast which is about 15 minutes away from Mirissa. Unawatuna is most popular as a place for beach holidays with activities such as surfing, snorkelling, and diving.

6. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka: Galle Fort

Galle Fort is the best-preserved Dutch Fort in Asia and dates back to the early 15s. Dutch Fort of Galle is a UNESCO world heritage site with hundreds of structures built after old Dutch architecture. Venturing on a Galle one-day tour is the best way to explore the Fort and other important places such as the sea turtle conservation centre.

7. Visiting stilt fisherman:

You can find stilt fishermen along with the west coast of Sri Lanka, and most of them are concentrated in Koggala, Weligama, and Ahangama. You will most probably be stopping at Koggala to watch Stilt fisherman. Stilt fishing is a unique way of fishing using a fishing rod, but it differs in many ways from the usual fishing.

8. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka:: Visiting Koggala lagoon

Koggala lagoon is one of the main tourist attractions on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, which is only a few kilometres away from Mirissa beach. The lagoon and the surrounding area are very rich in Fauna and Flora, where you see a large number of avian Fauna species and most importantly it is one of the best places for endangered mangrove species. Due to its rich biodiversity Koggala lagoon is one of the best places for Sri Lanka wildlife tours and nature tours.

9. Sinharaja Rain forest:

This primaeval rain forest is just 2 hours away from Mirissa beach. Another world popular natural world heritage site known as Sinharaja rain forest is also located near Mirissa beach. It is one of the oldest rainforests in the world and provides awe-inspiring natural scenery within its borders.

Sinharaja rain forest is one of the leading tourist attractions, in fact, Sinharaja is the most popular wildlife reserve for trekking, hiking and nature explorations. Sinharaja rain forest is a super biodiversity hot spot in the global contest and one of the best places to spot a large number of avian Fauna species as well as Flora species. Sinharaja rain forest tour is a very popular activity among travellers. Especially a large number of foreign travellers are venturing on this day trip from Colombo.

10. Visiting Udawalawe wildlife reserve:

One of the leading national parks of Sri Lanka on the west coast, which is only 2 hours from Mirissa beach. Udawalawe is another popular place in Sri Lanka for day trips from Mirissa and most beach resorts in Sri Lanka. The national park is easy to reach from all majos cities on the west and south coast of Sri Lanka. Udawalawe national park is ideal for a top-notch Sri Lanka safari, in fact, Udawalawe national park is one of the best places for an eco-park to observe wild elephants in Sri Lanka.

The local tour operators of Sri Lanka such as seerendipity tours organize many interesting tours and excursions to various tourist attractions from Mirissa. You can join one of their tours to visit Sigiriya, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Kandy and all other important historical, manmade and natural attractions.

Udalawawe wildlife tour does not only allow you to spot a large number of wild elephants in Udawalawe but also visit many historical Buddhist temples as well as the Elephant transit camp.

11. Places to visit in Mirissa Sri Lanka: Hadungoda tea plantation

Beach areas of Sri Lanka are most popular for agricultural products such as coconut, cinnamon and many other spices, however, beach areas are not popular for Tea. The tea plantations are mostly found in the interior of the country towards the hill country of Sri Lanka. However, you can have the opportunity to do a Sri Lanka tea plantation tour to visit a tea plantation and visit a tea factory at your hotel in Mirissa. Hadungoda tea plantation is not far from Mirissa beach and it takes around 40 minutes to reach Hadungoda tea plantation for your hotel.

Whale watching in Mirissa Sri Lanka

This beach holiday destination has a reputation for being the starting point of whale watching tours in Sri Lanka. Most groups, who are on whale watching tours are starting their tour in Mirissa and you have the opportunity to see whales within a 2 hours boat trip from the beach. Dewundara or Dondra, further south of Mirissa is the emerging whale watching spot in Sri Lanka and it is starting to become a popular place for whale watching tours.

Mirissa tour with whale watching -2 days

Mirissa is a popular 2 day trip place in Sri Lanka due to the popular whale watching trip. Whale watching is a activity that can be done on a Sri Lanka 2 days trip, due to the early morning boat tour. Mirissa 2 days trip begins in Colombo, however, the guests can join the trip from other beach resorts on the west coast. This Sri Lanka two days trip covers many important tourist places on Sri Lanka’s west coast and south coast. The culmination of the 2 days trip is the whale watching trip off Mirissa.

Mirissa’s tour with whale watching in a nutshell

Day 1 Mirissa tour 07.00 AM: Meet and greet by serendipity tour representative after breakfast.

Day 1 Mirissa tour 09.00 AM: Visit the sea turtle conservation project

Day 1 Mirissa tour 10.00 AM: Boat tour to explore the cinnamon island and mangrove forest in Madu river estuary

Day 1 Mirissa tour 12.00 PM: Visit mask museum Ambalangoda

Day 1 Mirissa tour 01.00 PM: Visiting Moonstone mines and Lunch

Day 1 Mirissa tour 03.00 PM: Walking tour of Galle fortress

Day 1 Mirissa tour 05.00 PM: Check in the hotel and leisure

Day 2 Mirissa tour 06.00 AM: Start the whale watching boat tour

Day 2 Mirissa tour 12.00 AM: Start return journey to Hotel in Colombo, en-route stop in Hikkaduwa for lunch

Map of Mirissa tour with whale watching

Surfing in Mirissa Sri Lanka

Surfing is one of the most popular water sports in Sri Lanka and there are many beach resorts ideal for this thrilling adventure such as Weligama, Hikkaduwa, Narigama, Kalkudah, Pasikuda and Aru gam Bay. Mirissa is also an ideal surf spot in Sri Lanka with sun drenched beaches, in fact, surfing is one of the most popular activities in Mirissa and you will a large number of travellers roaming around Mirissa beach with surf boards. The waves are suitable for newcomers to the sport as well as for well-experienced players.

Boating in Mirissa

Boating is a popular activity in most beach resorts like Hikkaduwa and Mirissa. A large number of travellers venture on boat trips in Mirissa for whale watching, surfing and many other activities. Mirissa offers many interesting places for boating. There are few inland water resources in Mirissa that allows travellers to travel on a boat to the interior of the island, one of the popular rivers is the Nilwala river. Mirissa also offers many driving snorkelling sites with coral reefs and exotic fish species.

Swimming with a sea turtle in Mirissa

Swimming with sea turtles in Mirissa

The beautiful coastal village is blessed with a large number of sea creatures. Dolphins are the most popular sea creature that you encounter in Mirissa and due to the popularity of whale watching all other creatures are almost neglected.

One of the very rare and endangered sea creatures that you encounter in mirissa is sea turtles. A large number of sea turtles are living in the water around Mirissa because it is full of food (seagrass) that these creatures love to eat. And the isolated beaches around Mirissa are perfect nesting spots for sea turtles.

You can rent all the equipment required for snorkelling and a boat. The experienced local boater helps you to find the best places where the sea turtles are hanging around. After about 20 meters from the shore, you can spot a sea turtle, usually, you are able to spot many sea turtles numbering dozens in some instances. The chances are very high to spot sea turtles here.

Mirissa is one of the best places to see sea turtles in their natural habitat, you can swim with them in the water. You have to drive about 10 minutes from the main beach resort to the beach known as “secret beach”, where a large number of travellers gather to swim with sea turtles.

The sea around the secret beach is very clear and is best for snorkelling and swimming from November to April. The best time to travel in Mirissa Sri Lanka is from November to April. Rest of the year the water might not be clear and it can be dangerous to go to the water due to the monsoon.

Best time for beach holidays in Mirissa Sri Lanka

Make some research to find out the best time to show up yourself here, otherwise, it could be a reason to be a disappointment. As a rule, the rainy season in Mirissa starts in May and lasts till October. It is a good idea to keep away from these beaches during the rainy season. Because the sea is not suitable for a sea bath due to the underwater current. Surfers also do not make a visit here and they are heading to other popular surfing destinations such as Aru gam bay.

The 6 months from November to April is considered the best time of the year to go to Mirissa (North-East monsoon). During the North-East monsoon, the sea is calm and it is safe to go to the sea. Mostly the dry weather prevails in the region during this time, tempting you to engage in many outdoor activities.

Mirissa is one of the best places in the south for swimming & watching the sunset

The beaches in Mirissa Sri Lanka are simply gorgeous, travellers can swim throughout the day and watch the sunset from the beach as the day wind-up. It is a quiet and nice clean sandy beach beside the local village, if you opt to stay in the village (away from the beach) there are many opportunities to find affordable accommodation facilities. Still, most of these properties are just a few minutes away from the beach. If you stay in a hotel near the beach and have a sea view from the room your accommodation cost is higher.

Getting to Mirissa Sri Lanka

It is very easy to go to Mirissa from any part of Sri Lanka. Mirissa is just 13 kilometres from Matara, which is one of the major cities in Sri Lanka. Matara is connected to all corners of the island by land and air transport. Mirissa is well connected with Colombo and public transport such as bus transport and rail transport available in plenty. However, if you are on a holiday it is highly recommended to use private transport such as a taxi in order to have a comfortable journey and save time.

Mirissa is also getting popularity among international travellers in parallel to other holiday destinations in southern Sri Lanka such as Hambantota and Weligama. The main reason for this trend is the opening of the expressway in southern Sri Lanka, which had been able to curtail the time spend travelling from Colombo to Mirissa. A very long transfer (6 hours) from Colombo to Mirissa was a major reason that kept travellers

Today Mirissa is an ideal place to visit on your layover in Colombo. For most Travellers, Mirissa is one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka for one day trip from Colombo. With the newly constructed highway, it will be reduced to just 2 hours from the airport as well as from Colombo city.

Same time there is a busy schedule of trains between Colombo and Matara. I presume Train is the most convenient way to travel to Matara, but only the trains of the coastal railway line can take you to Matara and Matara is the end of the coastal railway line. If need to travel to Matara hop on the “Galukumari” or “Samudradevi” train, you can reach Matara with many conveniences and it is cheap, fast and safe too.

From all major cities like Colombo, Kandy, Trincomalee, Sigiriya, and Anuradhapura you can reach Matara by public or private transport. Then head to Mirissa by TUK TUK or by taxi.

Why you should choose Seerendiopity tours for your Mirissa tour

Serendipity Tour is an entirely locally owned travel company with a head office in Colombo. The highly experienced local staff is a key strength of Serendipity Tours, and they can plan your dream holiday to Sri Lanka.

The best price guaranteed for your Sri Lanka trip

When you book a tour with Serendipity Tours, you directly book the tour with the local company, which means there are no middlemen and therefore you can guarantee the best price. Simply get in touch with us and let us know when you travel and what you like to see.

Plan your best Sri Lanka trip with-expert

Our staff makes a personalised program for you, which you can change until you find the best Sri Lanka trip package for you. Visit www.sirilaktours.com to browse our existing tour packages, which you can customise to meet all your expectations. Write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com, tel. 0094-77-440977, WhatsApp 0094-77-4440977.

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