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Hikkaduwa & Around

Hikkaduwa has been a firm fixture on the Sri Lankan tourist map since the 1970s, and this long exposure to tourism has left it a little worse for wear. A kilometre-long strip of guesthouses, shops and restaurants lines the beach, which is quite badly eroded in its northern stretch. The busy Colombo–Galle Rd, with its crazy high-speed bus drivers, runs right through the middle of Hikkaduwa, which can make stepping outside of your guesthouse as deadly as a game of Russian roulette!

But it's not all bad. There are plenty of charming places to stay, a string of mellow beach bars and restaurants, good diving and surf schools and plenty of interesting excursions accessible by three-wheeler or rental scooter. For years there has been talk about a possible bypass road around Hikkaduwa, which if it were to materialise would do wonders for this paradise lost.

Explore Hikkaduwa & Around

S
Seenigama Vihara
About 2km north of Hikkaduwa is the Seenigama Vihara, perched on its own island. It’s one of only two temples in the country where victims of theft can…
T
Tsunami Photo Museum
This ramshackle, private museum 3.5km north of Hikkaduwa tells the story through photographs and newspaper features of that dreadful day in 2004 when the…
T
Tsunami Memorial
This small monument remembers the 35,000 people who lost their lives just in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami and the hundreds of thousands of others…
T
Tsunami Honganji Vihara
Right on the coast north of Hikkaduwa is this statue of a standing Buddha facing the waves with his hands in the abhaya mudra (Buddha pose conveying…
T
Tsunami Education Centre and Museum
This locally run centre focuses on tsunami education for locals, but also has some dramatic and harrowing photos of the 2004 tsunami, including some of…
M
Moonstone Mines
Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from? Head inland 7km to Mitiyagoda and you can descend (not…
H
Hikkaduwa Lake
Hikkaduwa Lake, with its monitor lizards and numerous birds, makes for a pleasant excursion away from the beach. Boat tours can sometimes be organised on…
H
Hikkaduwa National Park
Hikkaduwa’s marine park stretches along the northern end of the beach and is an easy way to get a glimpse of some of Sri Lanka's undersea life…
G
Gangarama Maha Vihara
This interesting Buddhist temple has lots of popular educational paintings that are the work of one man over nearly a decade. The monks are happy to show…

S
Seenigama Vihara
About 2km north of Hikkaduwa is the Seenigama Vihara, perched on its own island. It’s one of only two temples in the country where victims of theft can…
T
Tsunami Photo Museum
This ramshackle, private museum 3.5km north of Hikkaduwa tells the story through photographs and newspaper features of that dreadful day in 2004 when the…
T
Tsunami Memorial
This small monument remembers the 35,000 people who lost their lives just in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami and the hundreds of thousands of others…
T
Tsunami Honganji Vihara
Right on the coast north of Hikkaduwa is this statue of a standing Buddha facing the waves with his hands in the abhaya mudra (Buddha pose conveying…
T
Tsunami Education Centre and Museum
This locally run centre focuses on tsunami education for locals, but also has some dramatic and harrowing photos of the 2004 tsunami, including some of…
M
Moonstone Mines
Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from? Head inland 7km to Mitiyagoda and you can descend (not…
H
Hikkaduwa Lake
Hikkaduwa Lake, with its monitor lizards and numerous birds, makes for a pleasant excursion away from the beach. Boat tours can sometimes be organised on…
H
Hikkaduwa National Park
Hikkaduwa’s marine park stretches along the northern end of the beach and is an easy way to get a glimpse of some of Sri Lanka's undersea life…
G
Gangarama Maha Vihara
This interesting Buddhist temple has lots of popular educational paintings that are the work of one man over nearly a decade. The monks are happy to show…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Hikkaduwa & Around.

See
Seenigama Vihara
About 2km north of Hikkaduwa is the Seenigama Vihara, perched on its own island. It’s one of only two temples in the country where victims of theft can…
See
Tsunami Photo Museum
This ramshackle, private museum 3.5km north of Hikkaduwa tells the story through photographs and newspaper features of that dreadful day in 2004 when the…
See
Tsunami Memorial
This small monument remembers the 35,000 people who lost their lives just in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami and the hundreds of thousands of others…
See
Tsunami Honganji Vihara
Right on the coast north of Hikkaduwa is this statue of a standing Buddha facing the waves with his hands in the abhaya mudra (Buddha pose conveying…
See
Tsunami Education Centre and Museum
This locally run centre focuses on tsunami education for locals, but also has some dramatic and harrowing photos of the 2004 tsunami, including some of…
See
Moonstone Mines
Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from? Head inland 7km to Mitiyagoda and you can descend (not…
See
Hikkaduwa Lake
Hikkaduwa Lake, with its monitor lizards and numerous birds, makes for a pleasant excursion away from the beach. Boat tours can sometimes be organised on…
See
Hikkaduwa National Park
Hikkaduwa’s marine park stretches along the northern end of the beach and is an easy way to get a glimpse of some of Sri Lanka's undersea life…
See
Gangarama Maha Vihara
This interesting Buddhist temple has lots of popular educational paintings that are the work of one man over nearly a decade. The monks are happy to show…

Guidebooks

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