Mirissa Beach

Sri Lanka has been known by many names over the centuries. During the years under the British occupation is was known as Ceylon and many years before that it was called Serendib, a word now used to describe utter tranquility and relaxation. It is said that Marco Polo visited this tear shaped Island in the 14th century and described it as " undoubtedly the finest island in the world ". Mirissa,sri lankaMirissa and its breathtaking sandy beach pretty much transforms your dreams and visions of a tropical paradise into an everyday reality. Located close to the Southern tip of the Island of Sri Lanka and only about 200 km from the Equator, this secluded crescent shaped beach is the perfect place to sit back, relax and forget about all the hussle and bussle of your other life that’s a million miles away.

This small sandy tropical beach boasts some of Sri Lanka’s best and most stunning sunsets and sunrises. All the Guest Houses in Mirissa are set back from the actual beach giving you the impression that you are on a deserted palm fringed island. Every now and again the silence is broken by the sound of a coconut falling on the sand or a chilled beer being opened by someone further up the beach.

Mirissa Beach is close to the most Southern tip of Sri Lanka and in fact the Indian sub-continent as well. In the morning time you are greeted by gentle colourful sunrises and then the sun crosses directly overhead throughout the day finally ending up give you a breathtaking and memorable sunset. Each evening at sunset Mother nature offers you something different, one night the sunset could be fiery red and then the next it can the most beautiful pastel pink. Many people grab a cool beer, bring restaurant chairs out onto the sand and sit and watch in awe at the array of colours as the sun sets behind the coconut trees on the hill.

The shoreline is blanketed with coconut trees and all the buildings and the places to stay in Mirissa are set back from the shore giving you the feeling that you are on a totally deserted beach somewhere . Most people start off early on the beach and abandon it close to midday as the heat becomes intense around then. It’s a great time to retire to one of the many beach side bars and restaurants to replenish your lost fluids with a cool beer or a snack. After about 2pm you will start to see people coming back for their afternoon tanning session. Most of the guesthouses in Mirissa have beach chairs on the sand outside their back gate.