Only 151.2 km from Colombo on the west coast of Sri Lanka is Mirissa one of our favorites while traveling here and for a good reason. With there being so many things to do in Mirissa there’s no room for a dull Sri Lanka holiday. From the Secret Beaches and snorkeling to the unique coffee shops you are sure to have the time of your life knocking off all the best things to do in Mirissa. Whether you are in Sri Lanka for 3 weeks or just a week make sure you don’t forget to stop here. The top 6 things to do in Mirissa we are going to talk about are directly in Mirissa and excluding the surrounding towns.
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Where to stay in Mirissa
With Mirissa beach hotels you have plenty to choose from. With it being a beach town I suggest you stay as close to Mirissa beach as possible. At night this is really the place to be.
Most of the time when we travel we stay in Airbnb. With over 304 properties just in Mirissa, you have plenty of options to choose from. We actually stayed right outside of town in Weligama due to it being a little cheaper and us staying over 30 days. If you are looking for the best places to stay in Mirissa we do have a suggestion.
Palm Villa: This colonial villa sits right on the beach. With tons of people raving about this place, I can see why. The quiet beachfront property offers some of the best views right outside your door. Not to mention it is a steal at only $40 a night you really can’t beat the location and price.
Address: Matara Road, Bandaramulla, Mirissa, Sri Lanka
If you are looking for more of a hotel-style living don’t worry we have a suggestion for that as well. Located walking distance from the beach is one of the most relaxing places in Mirissa.
Somerset Mirissa: This beautiful brick building hotel is the perfect distance from Mirissa beach. Giving you the fun nightlife within walking distance but the quiet luxury stays most are looking for. This property comes with an incredible infinity pool and amazing service. With it being $88 a night its a little more expensive than most properties but for a good reason.
Address: Bandaramulla Mirissa, Mirissa 81740, Sri Lanka
Now we have where you are going to stay figured out let’s get to the good stuff. What to do in Mirissa.
Top 6 things to do in Mirissa
Mirissa Beach
With you being in Mirissa the main attraction here is Mirissa beach. It’s full of amazing restaurants and happy hour specials. The water here is a beautiful turquoise blue and worth spending a whole day relaxing on the beach soaking up the sun.
Cost: Free
**BONUS**
Parrot Rock- While you are at Mirissa Beach mare sure you take a break from the crashing waves and climb Parrot Rock. Its actually on Mirissa Beach and is a super easy hike. When you get to the top you are rewarded with a fantastic view of the entire Mirrisa Beach and Turtle Bay.
While you are at the beach make sure you stop in and see our friends at stop number 2 for a fantastic lunch or any of the other amazing restaurants in Mirissa.
2) Zephyn Cafe
This hip little cafe offers some of the best seafood and coffee we had while in Mirissa. They get freshly caught fish nearly every morning so we were very happy with the quality. It sits directly on Mirissa beach and comes with a beautiful view. They often do live music on Sundays so stop in and catch dinner and a show.
Suggested dish: Prawn curry is incredible!
Cost: Starting at $10 USD
3) Turtle Bay Mirissa
Located on the left side of Mirissa beach is Turtle Bay. This little cove is full of different types of seagrasses and attracts many turtles. The best time to visit here is early in the morning or right before sunsets. This is when most of the turtles will be floating around catching a good meal. Don’t worry if you don’t have a snorkel and don’t feel like buying one you can rent one from Turtle Bay Restaurant for 500 SLR ( 3 USD ) per hour. From what we hear there used to be tons of them but now there is only a handful.
Cost: 500 SLR ( 3 USD ) per hour for snorkel gear.
4) Whale watching Mirissa
Sri Lanka is known for being home to the largest land mammal (the elephant) and the largest water mammal (the blue whale). It’s really hard to mix mass tourism with animal sightseeing and very few places have done it correctly but if you find the right place it’s beautiful to see.
ways to go whale watching in Sri Lanka: Trincomalee on Sri Lanka’s east coast also has whale and dolphin watching. This is normally done between the months of March – September. Because this side of Sri Lanka is way less busy it has yet to become so crowded. They go out in smaller boats and it feels a lot more ethical.
Cost: 11,000 – 16,000 LKR ( $62.47- $90.86 USD )
5) Secret Beach
We actually think this is the number one Mirissa sunset spot so make sure you come in the late afternoon. They have 2 restaurants here so if you want you can catch dinner here as well. One is super local with no tables and cheap prices. The other is attached to the secret beach bar. This is a little bit more costly but nothing too expensive. They do however have a wide variety of drinks and food to choose from and tables set up along the beach so you can eat and catch the sunset of a lifetime.
Cost: Free
6) Coconut Tree Hill
The Instagram famous coconut Tree hill. This is a very beautiful place to catch the sunrise and sunset. Be warned that if you are going to be here at sunset it will most likely be pretty busy. If you visit at sunrise ( 5:30 am ) you will likely be the only one there. Its located just to the left of turtle bay and to the left of Mirissa beach. It’s only a 15- 20 minute walk from the beach and well worth seeing. This beautiful coastal hill is covered in nothing but Palm trees and surrounded by beautiful blue crashing waves. Its the picture-perfect hill.
Cost: Free
With it being a small beach town we suggest you only spend a couple of days here on your trip relaxing and taking in that beautiful Srilankan coast. The train system in Sri Lanka makes traveling the country super easy and affordable so make sure you check out the surrounding coastal towns, beaches and beautiful mountains of Sri Lanka if you have time.
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