# Hikkaduwa *A reef that made the town's name, and has not been what it was for a long time* Region: South coast · https://srilankatour.travel/places/hikkaduwa Hikkaduwa is a beach town about 100 kilometres from Colombo and 20 north of Galle that built its reputation in the 1970s on a shallow fringing reef you can snorkel straight off the sand. The reef is protected as Hikkaduwa National Park, one of only a handful of marine national parks in the country, covering about 11.3 square kilometres. The town that grew behind it added surf, and then nightlife. All three of those things are still here, but only two of them are in the condition the brochures describe. The reef has been hit by bleaching — the 1998 event is documented in the scientific literature on this exact stretch of coral — and by decades of people standing on it. Recent visitor reports describe substantial dead sections. What has not gone anywhere is the fish and the turtles, and that is what to come for. ## Our verdict Come for turtles and fish, not for a Maldives-grade reef, and stay at the northern or southern ends if you want to sleep. The main strip is loud at night, which is either the reason you came or the reason to choose Unawatuna instead. ## Highlights - **The coral sanctuary, honestly.** Brain, staghorn and star corals are the documented reef-builders here, and the water is shallow enough that non-divers reach them by swimming out from the beach. But the coral has suffered badly, and as of September 2026 the honest summary from recent visitors is that parts of it are dead and the draw is the marine life rather than the reef itself. Snorkelling from the sand treats what is left better than a boat does. - **Turtles off the beach.** Green turtles feed in the shallows along the stretch known locally as Turtle Beach, most reliably early in the morning before the water fills with people. They are wild animals in a public bay, not an attraction with a gate. Where it goes wrong is the add-on: vendors selling seaweed to hand-feed them, and people crowding in to touch their shells for a photograph. Swim quietly, keep your distance, and do not buy the seaweed. - **Glass-bottom boats, and the price.** The standard way onto the reef without getting wet, and the most common complaint in reviews is overcharging. Agree the price and the length of the trip before you get in, and expect to negotiate. If you can swim, the snorkelling is better anyway and does less damage. - **Surf from November to April.** December to March is the peak of it, with clean offshore mornings and swell commonly in the 3 to 5 foot range. The beach breaks suit improvers and there are schools along the strip; the reef breaks are not the place to learn. Outside the season the southwest monsoon makes the water messy and much of the surf trade moves to the east coast. - **Peraliya and the Queen of the Sea.** On 26 December 2004 the Colombo–Galle train was struck by the tsunami at Peraliya, 4.1 kilometres north of Hikkaduwa on the A2 — about eight minutes' drive. More than a thousand people died, making it the deadliest single rail disaster on record. A battered carriage stands as a memorial beside the Community Tsunami Museum, which charges LKR 500; the separate General Tsunami Photo Museum is free. The nearest station is Telwatta. ## Practical - **Time needed:** 2 to 3 nights - **From Colombo:** About 100km — 2 to 2.5 hours by car, or roughly 2 hours on the coastal train from Colombo Fort - **From Galle:** About 20km, roughly 30 minutes - **Best months:** December to March for calm sea and clear water; November to April is the broader season - **Nearest airport:** Bandaranaike International (CMB); Galle is the nearest city ## Nearby - [Galle](https://srilankatour.travel/places/galle) - [Unawatuna](https://srilankatour.travel/places/unawatuna) - [Bentota](https://srilankatour.travel/places/bentota) ## Frequently asked questions **Is the coral in Hikkaduwa still alive?** Partly, and less than the reputation suggests. Brain, staghorn and star corals are documented here and there is living reef to see, but bleaching — the 1998 event on this reef is in the scientific literature — and years of snorkellers standing on it have left substantial dead sections. As of September 2026 the reliable draw is the fish and the turtles. Go in expecting that and it is a good morning in the water; go in expecting pristine coral and it is a disappointment. **Can you see turtles in Hikkaduwa?** Yes, reliably. Green turtles feed in the shallows off the stretch known as Turtle Beach, and early morning is the time — before the crowds arrive and the water is stirred up. Skip the seaweed vendors and the hand-feeding; the turtles are there whether or not anyone pays for it, and crowding them is how the good sightings stop. Turtle hatcheries along the Kosgoda to Hikkaduwa strip charge around LKR 1,000 to 1,500, and standards vary a great deal between operators. **When is surf season in Hikkaduwa?** November to April, with December through March the best of it. Swell is commonly 3 to 5 feet and mornings are usually the cleanest. From May the southwest monsoon arrives and the surf, along with much of the trade, moves round to Arugam Bay on the east coast. **How far is Hikkaduwa from Galle?** About 20 kilometres, roughly 30 minutes by road and a little less by train on the coastal line. That makes Galle Fort an easy evening out from Hikkaduwa, and Hikkaduwa an easy half day from Galle if you are based inside the walls. **What is there to do in Hikkaduwa?** Snorkel the sanctuary reef, swim with the green turtles in the morning, surf between November and April, and drive eight minutes north to the tsunami memorial and museums at Peraliya. Beyond that it is Galle Fort at 30 minutes, Unawatuna for a calmer swim, and the Madu Ganga mangroves up towards Bentota. --- Source: https://srilankatour.travel/places/hikkaduwa Published by Sri Lanka Journeys, operated by Clever Hub (Private) Limited (Sri Lanka company no. PV00308620). Enquiries: info@srilankatour.travel · +94 77 793 6904 (phone and WhatsApp).