I spent a month “living” in Hiriketiya on Sri Lanka’s south coast. While it’s a sleepy beach town where you’d be forgiven for doing nothing but laying on the beach, there are actually lots of activities to check out when you visit. Here are the best things to do in Hiriketiya Beach, Sri Lanka.
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Surfing in Hiriketiya Beach, Sri Lanka
Surfing is one of the main draws for most travellers coming to Hiriketiya Beach. The beach is actually not great for swimming unless you love getting absolutely rolled by waves. So surfing the choppy conditions is the best way to enjoy this little slice of paradise.
Take a surf lesson
You’ll see a dozen surf shops dotted down the length of Hiriketiya Beach. Rent a board or book a group/private lesson with the guys at any one of these stands.
If you already know what you’re doing, you can rent a board for about 1,000 LKR per hour. For a beginner lesson, expect to pay about 5,000 LKR per person. But you can shop around a bit and haggle with the guys on the beach for a good price, especially if you’re in a group.
Even if you are just going for a stroll, carrying a coffee, wearing jeans, or have your full 65 L backpack in tow, they will approach you and ask if you want to go surfing today. So don’t worry too much about how you will find your surf lessons, they will find you.
Book a dedicated surf school
This is the best way to ensure you become a surf expert by the time you leave Sri Lanka. You can live and breathe surfing for a week or more to really dive in and hone your skills, even if you arrive as a beginner.
- Salt House hosts regular week-long surf retreats. But they’re organized for set dates, so your timing needs to align.
- Kima Surf is probably the best full-on surf camp option in Hiriketiya Beach. Your booking will include two surf lessons per day, yoga, meals, social activities, an ice bath, surf theory classes, and more. It’s the whole package.
Prices range significantly, but expect to pay at least 120,000 LKR per week for these all-included experiences.
Read more: Complete Hiriketiya Travel Guide
Spas and wellness activities in Hiriketiya Beach
You’ll find lots of activities related to yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, and general wellness in Sri Lanka, but especially in Hiriketiya. Even if you’re not usually a big yogi, it’s worth embracing the local vibe with a class or treatment.
Do a yoga class
One of the best things to do in Hiriketiya — there’s a yoga class on at every hour of every day. (Within reason.) Take your pick from air conditioned spaces to open-air rooftops and studios in the jungle. Arise’s space even looks out over a temple.
Many yoga studios offer one-off sessions and discounted multi-class passes if you want to get more into the practice while you’re in Hiriketiya Beach. The town’s lazy, health-focused atmosphere makes it easier than usual to drag yourself to that early morning class.
Book a wellness treatment
Here are some of the many healing and wellness activities in Hiriketiya Beach:
- Sound healing
- Breathwork
- Reiki
- Cold plunge and saunas
- Massages
- Herbal baths or facials
- Body scrubs
To get started, check the schedules and services available at Arise, Tonic Spa, Maha Sauna, Salt House, and Dots Bay House.
Other classes and things to do in Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka
If there’s one thing you can do in Hiriketiya, it’s learn a new skill. Here are some other classes to try beyond yoga and surfing.
Jewelry workshop
Sri Lanka is well-known for its sapphires and silver, so it’s a great place to pick up some new jewellery. However, it’s way more fun to make your own!
We did a one-day workshop with Sapiens Jewelry and created two silver rings — I added a sapphire to mine and Chesney’s just a simple kinda rustic silver band.
I can’t recommend the experience enough! We had so much fun and we’ll keep these souvenirs forever. We went to Weligama for it because the available times worked better with our schedules. But they do also offer some classes in Hiriketiya Beach as well.
The class at Sapiens cost 15,000 LKR per person and included 6 grams of silver (enough for a normal ring). I tacked on another 15k for my sapphire, but that was a choice lol.
Cooking class
There are a few places that offer different cooking classes. Most take place in outdoor kitchens and use clay pots on open fires and other traditional Sri Lankan cooking techniques. You’ll likely learn how make rice & curry — the national dish of Sri Lanka.
Muay Thai
I’d never done Muay Thai (or anything like it) before trying this one-off class at Arise. It was super beginner-friendly but I still got to throw lots of punches and high kicks by the time the hour and a half was through. I’m not a sports girlie so I wasn’t expecting to like it that much, but I loved it!
Sunset at Blue Beach
Blue Beach is just a short walk from Hiriketiya Beach and has a unique sand bar connecting the mainland to a small island. You can walk up to a nice viewpoint for a sunset picnic, and some local street dogs are bound to follow you up for some company.
Go looking for wildlife
One of the best free things to do in Hiriketiya Beach, Sri Lanka, is go wildlife spotting around town! You’d be surprised by how many wild animals are hidden just off the beaten path. Sometimes they’re actually not that hidden at all.
Here are some animals you can spot on a self-guided safari around Hiriketiya Beach:
- Peacocks
- Grey hornbills
- King fishers
- Other brightly coloured birds
- Monitor lizards
- Frogs and toads
- Scorpions
- Grey langur monkeys
- Macaques (with silly haircuts)
- Black tip reef sharks (not dangerous)
- Cows on the loose
- Cute (usually chill) stray dogs
Nightlife in Hiriketiya Beach
While wholesome Hiriketiya is technically a chill beach town, the increase in tourism is bringing in more young people (especially young people) and therefore more party spots. Here are some nightlife-y things to do in Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka.
- Karaoke Night at Clear Point Restaurant. I’m not even a karaoke person and I have to admit this was such a blast. The host has an incredible voice and he’s happy to perform in between sets while tourists work up the courage to get on stage. (As a restaurant, the food is overpriced.)
- Events at Dots Bay House. Dots regularly has something on, from Tuesday open mic night to full-on DJ sets for weekend parties.
- Secret Jungle Party. This kicks off every Friday and has DJ sets ’til late into the night for you party animals. Here’s the vibe on TikTok for reference.
- Tommy’s Chill & Grill. Not technically in Hiriketiya Beach but more in neighboring Dickwella Beach, you can catch regular DJ sets and big blow out events here. It’s a short like, 5-minute tuk tuk ride from Hiriketiya Beach, just over the hill.
There’s also a five-story nightclub (Clear Point Night Club) being built that might even be ready in time for high season 2026/27. Personally, I think that’s killing the vibe, but who knows.
Travel essentials for Sri Lanka
📶 eSIM
Stay connected with phone data in Sri Lanka. Here are my top picks & discounts.
💸 TravelSpend
Track your budget easily (ft. a colourful doughnut chart with stats).
🛺 PickMe App
Call a scooter, tuk tuk, or car to get you where you need to go.
💳 Wise or Revolut
Compare the best multicurrency cards for spending when you're overseas.
Things to do near Hiriketiya Beach
If you run out of things to do in Hiriketiya or just want to venture out for a day or two, there’s lots to do within a few hours’ drive of the beach.
Day trips from Hiriketiya
If you’re staying in Hiriketiya for more than a few days and want to use it as a home base, it’s a great jumping off point for other spots nearby. Here are some day trips from Hiriketiya Beach.
- Ahangama (1.5 hours): We almost booked a month here instead of Hiriketiya. But personally, I think we made the right choice. It’s a nice surf-y town, but doesn’t have quite the same charm. Lots of great cafes and restaurants to check out for a day trip through.
- Weligama (1 hour): Major surf spot with a looooong beach where you can bring your own board or join a lesson. We also did a really fun jewelry-making class in Weligama! Deets above if you missed them.
- Mirissa (1 hour): Famous for its night life, coconut tree hill (overrated), and turtle beach. Perfectly suitable for a day trip from Hiriketiya.
- Tangalle (30 mins): Stop at the blow hole, Silent Beach, and Goyambokka Beach along the way.
Overnight trips from Hiriketiya Beach
These are a bit further afield so better for an overnight trip from Hiriketiya.
- Galle (1.5 hours): The Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a nice coastal city. There’s also a Maritime Archaeology Museum worth checking out.
- Ambalangoda (2 hours): Sri Lanka has some very cool cultural ceremonies and festivals where wooden masks are part of the ritual. Ambalangoda is where most of them are made, and there’s a museum where you can learn more about what they all mean and even catch a performance to understand more about the tradition.
- Yala National Park (2 hours): THE national park in Sri Lanka and your best chance at seeing a leopard in the wild. The downside is that the park can get VERY overtouristed, especially in the high season. We went anyway and had a really good time.
- Udawalawe National Park (2 hours): A popular national park that’s quieter than Yala and home to huge herds of Asian elephants.
Getting around Hiriketiya
Hiriketiya is very walkable, so if you don’t have your driver’s license you’ll be just fine.
If you don’t feel like walking or you’re going a longer distance, like to the Dikwella Saturday Market, you can easily catch a tuk tuk for 300 LKR to 800 LKR. Download the PickMe app (like Uber) for a set prices that are usually lower or just hail a tuk tuk and haggle a bit. (But remember it’s not worth it to fight someone over 800 LKR.)
You can also rent a scooter. The petrol crisis has died down in Sri Lanka and we never struggled to get gas. We paid 1,500 LKR per day for a month-long scooter rental in Hiriketiya and filling the tank cost about 1,600 LKR. The driving is pretty chill compared to Colombo, but you’ll want to be a confident on a scooter and ready to navigate lawless roads.
Make sure you have your International Driving Permit (IDP), regular license, and Temporary Sri Lankan Driver’s License.
Naomi Lai
Naomi is a Canadian travel editor and writer with 13 years of international travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, New Zealand, and beyond. She covers everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel — always from personal experience.
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