✦ Southern Province
Mirissa
A crescent bay on the south coast, known for whale-watching trips, surf breaks nearby and palm-covered headlands.
Photo: Alexey Komarov / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Destination guide
About Mirissa
Mirissa is a small fishing harbour and beach on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, between Galle and Matara. The continental shelf is close to the shore here, and from roughly December to April boats leave Mirissa harbour to look for blue whales, sperm whales and dolphins.
Neighbouring Weligama bay is one of the island’s best-known places to learn to surf, and the south-coast railway and expressway make Mirissa an easy stop between Galle and Tangalle.
Why visit
- Whale and dolphin watching in the whale season
- Beginner-friendly surf at Weligama bay
- Coconut Tree Hill and Parrot Rock viewpoints
- Laid-back south-coast beach life
Things to do in Mirissa
- Join a responsible whale-watching trip from Mirissa harbour
- Learn to surf at Weligama
- Walk up to Coconut Tree Hill for sunset
- See the stilt fishermen between Koggala and Weligama
Tours that include Mirissa
Beach
Negombo–Bentota–Galle–Weligama–Tangalle
Beaches of Sri Lanka 8-Day Coast Tour
Outrigger canoes rest on Negombo's sand at dawn, and by the end of the week you will have traded them for the…
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Negombo → Tangalle
Culture
Galle–Weligama–Midigama–Tangalle
South Coast Surf and Culture 6-Day Tour
Warm water and soft, sandy-bottomed waves make the south coast a forgiving place to learn to surf. After a first evening in…
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Galle → Tangalle
★ Featured
Beach
Galle–Unawatuna–Weligama–Tangalle
Southern Coast Luxury 5-Day Escape
The south coast changes character every few kilometres. Inside Galle's ramparts, church bells ring over gabled houses; at Unawatuna a coral-fringed bay…
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Galle → Tangalle
Where to stay near Mirissa
Weligama
Cape Weligama
Clifftop resort overlooking the southern coast and Weligama Bay.
Mirissa
Mandara Resort Mirissa
A beachfront resort at the point where the Polwathumodara River meets the sea, with views over both the ocean and the river…
Weligama
W15 Weligama
A beachfront boutique hotel beside Weligama Bay and part of the W15 Collection of Sri Lankan hotels.
Weligama
Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa
A 198-room beachfront resort on Weligama Bay, a well-known surf spot on Sri Lanka's south coast.
Experiences in and around Mirissa
★ Featured
Wildlife
Mirissa
Whale Watching in Mirissa
A tall blow rises from the swell, then a broad blue-grey back rolls slowly through the sea. Sail from Mirissa harbour into…
- 4–5 hours
- November–April
Weligama
Weligama Surf Lesson
Long, gentle rollers peel across a wide sandy bay, forgiving enough for your very first wave. Weligama, on Sri Lanka's south coast,…
- 2–3 hours
- November–April
🍛 Local flavours
Food to try in Mirissa
- Fresh seafood and the catch of the day
- Ambul thiyalthe southern sour fish curry
- Buffalo curd with kithul treacle
- Rotti and kottu
Best time to visit Mirissa
- JanUsually the best months
- FebUsually the best months
- MarUsually the best months
- AprUsually the best months
- MayPossible, with more rain or heat
- JunPossible, with more rain or heat
- JulPossible, with more rain or heat
- AugPossible, with more rain or heat
- SepPossible, with more rain or heat
- OctPossible, with more rain or heat
- NovUsually the best months
- DecUsually the best months
November–April; whale watching is usually best around December–April
Sri Lanka has two monsoons, so when one coast is rainy the other is usually dry — weather varies from year to year.
Mirissa on the map
Destinations near Mirissa
References / Sources
- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau: https://www.srilanka.travel
- International Whaling Commission — whale watching handbook: https://wwhandbook.iwc.int
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