Mirissa is one of the most beautiful Southern coastal towns of Sri Lanka and a very popular beach destination among the visitors. You can spend endless days relaxing on the palm trees lined sandy beaches without a care in the world. If you happen to visit Mirissa for two days and want to know how to spend your two days effectively, then read on:
Top Things to do in Mirissa
Whale Watching
Sri Lanka is a popular destination for whale watchers. The chance of viewing whales in Mirissa is relatively high in the peak seasons than any other part of Sri Lanka. You can book whale watching tours from the beach operators and the boats usually start at 6:30 AM in the mornings. They will take you out on the Indian Ocean for a few hours depending on the weather and the sea conditions for spotting Blue whales, dolphins and turtles. The best time to spot whales is from the end of November to March as whales migrate from the south coast.
Learn surfing
Mirissa has one of the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka surrounded by palm trees with wave’s ideal for beginners to learn surfing. A number of surf schools line the beaches which provide surfing lessons on hourly basis. You can rent out surfboards here or bring one from your home.
Do scuba diving
Mirissa is a great place where you can enjoy Scuba Diving and snorkeling to observe various underwater marine life. The season in the south coast of Sri Lanka starts from October till May.
Go on deep sea fishing trip
An exciting addition to your to-do things in Mirissa, deep fishing tour is a must for every fishing lover. You can rent your own boat and embark on an exciting fishing trip early morning from the Mirissa harbor. You can spot fishes like Grouper, Snapper Emperor and Bonefish at the coast whereas Indian mackerel, Spanish mackerel, Spearfish and Tuna are found in the open sea. You can either sell your catch or just take home to cook on some grills.
Visit secret beach
Apart from Mirissa beach, there is another beautiful spot for afternoon walks and drinking King Coconut water. Not so secret anymore but still this is an awesome spot to hike to enjoy few drinks and watch the sunset.
Climb Parrot Rock
Parrot Rock is a cool rock viewpoint in Mirissa. Once you carefully climb on to the rock, you can get a panoramic view of the beach and the blue ocean. You can relax on the benches and enjoy the view.
Ride a scooter around Mirissa
If you don’t want to walk, you can always rent a scooter and drive in the by lanes of Mirissa to find your own secluded spot near the beach.
Go to Welingama Beach
Welingama Beach is just 7.5 km away from Mirissa, where you can relax and enjoy some beers with the locals. You can also visit the Taprobane Island opposite to the Welingama village. This island can be easily reach at low tide.
Day Tours from Mirissa
Go beach hopping
Beach lovers can go beach hopping from Ahangama, Koggala, Unawatuna to Hikkaduwa. You can still see stilt fisherman in Ahangama beach trying to get their daily catch. Stand a moment to admire their work but if you want to take their photos, be prepared to be charged as much as 3 USD. Koggala is famous for its freshwater lagoon famously known as Koggala Lake and its sea turtle hatchery. A visit to the Koggala Sea turtle hatchery, will give you an insight into the vital works done for preservation of the sea turtles. Unawatuna and Hikkaduwa are more famous for their water sports and cool beach bars.
Visit the ramparts of old Galle
Spend one of your afternoons in old colonial streets of Galle, a beautiful town on the Southwest coast of Sri Lanka. It’s well known for the 16th century Galle Fort, a fortified old city founded by Portuguese colonists when they invade this tear shaped island. Take in the stone sea walls, expanded by the Dutch, encircling the car-free streets with architectural patterns reflecting Portuguese, Dutch and British style.
Go for afternoon jeep safari at Yala National Park
An afternoon jeep safari at Yala National Park is a great experience for all the nature enthusiasts. You can also spend the night in an exciting glamping safari camp like Leopard Trails, which will give you more time to spend inside the park.
Go for Sinharaja Forest Reserve trek
Sinharaja Forest Reserve meaning “Lion Kingdom”, is a national park and is identified as a biodiverse reserve in Sri Lanka. It has been declared as a World heritage site to preserve its significance by UNESCO. Due to its dense flora, wildlife is difficult to spot unlike at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. You can explore the jungle on foot with your guide covering the important parts of the forest reserve and enjoy a scrumptious picnic meal at the end of it.
Where to eat in Mirissa
Dewmini Roti Shop: When in Sri Lanka, you definitely need to try out Sri Lankan specialty Kottu and Veg Rotis. The Banoffee Roti with ice-cream in Dewmini Roti shop is quite a popular choice among the visitors.
Tandoori Hut: You can enjoy delicious spicy Indian cuisine in this little Indian restaurant. You can select the main dish from a variety of rich spicy curries and get Nun rotis, a bowl of rice and some side dishes served along with the dish. Don’t forget to try a huge glass of chilled Lassi after your meal.
Number One Mirissa: A romantic setting, beautiful views of the beach and a prime selection of well-made cocktails makes Number One Mirissa a must go to spot.
Central Beach Restaurant: Arrive at Central Beach Restaurant with an empty stomach to enjoy a wide spread of dishes. Some of the tastiest plates at the restaurant are the seafood items like the grilled crabs, grilled calamari and fish burgers. Enjoy a romantic dinner with a wide selection of cocktails and a stunning view of the Mirissa beach.
Little Tune Sushi café: Known for their huge variety of sushi’s prepared with fresh catch of the day, you can get a refreshing change from the Sri Lankan cuisine. Relax on a hammock and enjoy some of their homemade cheesecakes and muffins for rest of the day.
Zephyr Restaurant and Bar: By day, the Zephyr Restaurant and Bar serves as a relaxing beach bar, luring diners with comfy sun loungers, bean bags and a selection of revitalizing cocktails. At night, it turns into a cozy restaurant alit with glowing candles and fairy lights. Visitors can look forward to live bands performances on certain nights of the week.
Where to stay in Mirissa
As Mirissa is a very popular beach town with a limited amount of places to stay so it fills up very fast. It is always ideal to make reservations well ahead of time and then re-confirm especially during the peak seasons. I recommend you to stay near the beach so that you can go for early morning walks on the beach or surf. There are a number of resorts lining the beach but we stayed with a local family at South Lagoon guest house. We enjoyed our homely stay even more because of the delicious Sri Lankan delicacies prepared by the host for us.
I have listed some of my top picks for your stay in Mirissa:
JJ’s Hostel: Showcasing an expansive rooftop terrace with day-beds and barbeque, JJ’s Hostel is a boutique hostel and guesthouse located in Mirissa North, only a few minutes’ walk from the beach. A great place to crash in and interact with other travelers.
Tithira Guest House: A family run homestay, only few meters way from the beach. Their generosity and hospitality will make you come back again.
Riverside Cabanas (Mirissa): Located within 400 meters (a 5-minute walk) from the stunning Mirissa Beach, Riverside Cabanas offers a serene accommodation overlooking the landscaped garden and the ‘Mirissa Oya’ water stream.
Palm Villa Mirissa: Each of the rooms in this colonial-style manor is uniquely decorated in a bright and modern fashion and represents good value. You can enjoy some me-time with a great sea view.
You can find other affordable properties from Airbnb or Booking.com. I will recommend you to pre-book to avoid any last moment hassles and you can save that time to enjoy more in Mirissa.
Anwesha’s Bio: I am a travel blogger at Going Places with Anwesha. I have a full time day job but I love to travel and capture my journeys through my lenses. My blog is mostly about my journey in India and its neighboring countries. It’s a medium for me to encourage and inspire others like me to shed their inhibitions and travel to their hearts’ content. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Whale watching would be high on my list Patti. One of the best sites on earth sits off this coast, for seeing massive creatures.
I just madly love fishing & travelling. Nice place to visit also. Superb idea. Thank u so much for sharing.