A Traveler’s Guide to Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka: Where to Stay, Eat, & Explore
From surfing the bay to open mic nights and World’s 50 Best Restaurant bites, here's how to spend your time in Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka - my favorite South Coast Sri Lanka surf town.
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The laid back and tranquil beach town of Hiriketiya is one of my favorite places in Sri Lanka. Its assortment of restaurants, cafes, yoga studios, live music venues, and consistent surf make it a hard spot to ever say goodbye to. In this travel guide to Hiriketiya, I share where to stay, where to eat, and what to do with your time when you venture to this dreamy South Coast Sri Lanka beachfront oasis.
Where to Stay in Hiriketiya
Hiriketiya’s the sort of place where everything is within walking distance, which makes choosing a place to stay in Hiriketiya a little easier. This little surf town has everything from budget hostels to five-star hotels, private villas, and surf camps, so choose your price point and preferred corner of town and enjoy the laidback and nature-oriented vibes of Hiriketiya for awhile.
Where I stayed: Pranaya Hiriketiya
With air conditioning, solid bunk beds that don’t rattle you awake, and an ideal location within walking distance of everything, Pranaya was a spot I kept extending my stay at. I loved its location and the gorgeous jungle walk to the beach. There’s an on-site cafe and bakery and the staff is really friendly and accommodating.
Check Availability - dorms from $13 USD
Other Great Hiriketiya Hotels & Hostels:
Budget-Friendly Places to Stay in Hiriketiya:
Dots Bay House - dorms from $25 USD, private rooms from $68 USD
Bappa’s Place - dorms from $15 USD, private rooms from $45 USD
The Yard Hiriketiya - private rooms from $50 USD
Mid-Range Hotels in Hiriketiya:
Salt House - dorms from $45 USD, private rooms from $100 USD
House on the Bend - private rooms from $71 USD
Luxury Hotels in Hiriketiya:
La Playa Beach Club - private rooms from $197 USD
If you’re already in the habit of booking your stays through sites like Booking.com, HostelWorld, Vrbo, Trivago, Trip.com, or TripAdvisor, consider using my links to do so. This sends a bit back my way at no added cost to you.
Best Surf Camps in Hiriketiya
The Salty Pelican Yoga & Surf Retreat
If you’re looking for more of a surf camp-style stay, The Salty Pelican Yoga & Surf Retreat is one of the best surf camps in Hiriketiya. You can just book a room and add on surf and yoga classes whenever you want or go all-in and sign up for their all-inclusive 8-day surf, meditation, and yoga retreat.
Kima Surf is a luxe-meets-eco-friendly surf camp in Hiriketiya and one of the best around. I often shared waves with them in the bay and was impressed by the caliber of their surf teachers. Daily yoga lessons are included in each of their surf camp packages, as is breakfast and dinner daily.
For more surf camp options in Hiriketiya (and Sri Lanka), check out BookSurfCamps.com.
Where to Eat & Drink in Hiriketiya
Named one of Asia’s 50 best bars in 2022, Smoke & Bitters is more like a gastronomic experience and one you’d better make a reservation for. Everything on the menu stays true to the smoke and bitters theme, from the pulled pork to the smoky cocktails.
Tucked up by Pehembiya Beach (Dikwella Beach), Verse Collective is a great multi-purpose spot to grab brunch, a coffee or a cocktail, and maybe even dinner while watching the sunset over the ocean. It’s also home to a surf shop, tatoo studio, and co-working space.
This family-run restaurant was another daily staple for me in Hiriketiya, be it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Lemon Grass Cafe has all of the Sri Lankan classics on the menu, but their kottu and curry is some of the best I had in all Sri Lanka.
What to See & Do in Hiriketiya
Surf at Hiriketiya Beach: Hiriketiya has a beatiful bay for every level of surfer. The beginners tend to stick to the sandy-bottomed western end, the intermediates in the middle, and the surf advanced over on the eastern side of the bay where the wave peels around the point. You can rent a board for a couple of hours right there on the beach for as little as 1000LKR (roughly $3USD) or get your lessons, rentals, lodging, and food all included by signing up for a surf camp in Hiriketiya. I’d start your surf camp search at BookSurfCamps.com.
Attend Yoga & Breathwork Classes: Over the course of my week-long stay in Hiriketiya, I sampled quite a few spots for yoga and breathwork sessions. Between all of the studios and hotels that offer it, there’s literally a class everyday somewhere. Some, like Salt House, even have brunch and yoga deals where you can pay 5,000LKR (roughly $17USD) that includes your yoga class and brunch at their restaurant right after. Other great spots to practice are Taboo, Dots Bay House, and Serene Villa.
Spend a Day Lounging on the Surf-free, Swim-friendly Pehembiya Beach: This much quieter and more spacious beach west of town, yet still within walking distance of Hiriketiya’s main drag, is lined with lounge chairs and humble beachfront eateries serving cold beers and fresh fish plates. Make a purchase at the restaurant associated to your desired lounger and get the chair for the day.
Attend Live Music Events All Over Town: There’s so much happening in Hiriketiya by night, mostly the casual live music and a cocktail variety. There’s Dot’s Open Mic Nights every Saturday, the frequent live music events on Taboo’s rooftop, and so many other random restaurants and cocktail bars in town trading turns as host for the night’s events. Keep an eye out for the posters, pamphlets, and people spreading the word of the week’s events.
How to Get To, From, & Around Hiriketiya
Getting To & From Hiriketiya
By Public Transport
To get to Hiriketiya from anywhere on the south coast, or even Ella, Kandy, or Colombo, chances are you’ll need to get to Matara first. Whether you come by train or bus to Matara, from there you can take either a public bus to the Dickwella Bus Stand, or if you’re even luckier, to the Dodampahala Junction, just a few minutes walk from the center of Hiriketiya. I’ve laid out the full instructions by starting point below.
From Colombo: There are a few ways you can get to Hiriketiya from Colombo. The most direct option is to take a train from the Colombo Fort Station to the Wewrukannala Station. It’s about a 4-hour journey that puts you just 10 minutes by car from Hiriketiya. From the Wewrukannala Station, you can take a taxi to Hiriketiya. Pay no more than 300LKR for a tuktuk and no more than 900LKR for a taxi. Alternatively, you could take a train (about 4 hours) or express bus (about 3 hours) to Matara, and from Matara catch a bus (1 to 1.5 hours) or a tuktuk (30-40 minutes) the rest of the way to Hiriketiya. Find those directions below in the “From Matara” section.
From Ella: Find the Wellawaya Bus Stop in Ella town and catch the 31 bus from there to Matara. It passes through town multiple times a day starting at 6:40am (but verify the latest schedule). The journey is anywhere from 5 to 6 hours and should cost around 650LKR (about $2USD). In Matara, you’ll catch a bus or hail a tuktuk or taxi to get you the rest of the way. Find those instructions below in the “From Matara” section.
From other South Coast spots (Galle, Ahangama, Weligama, etc.): Hop on the 350 bus (or any bus heading to Matara) from all points west of Matara, be it Galle, Ahangama, Weligama, or Mirissa. Take it to Matara and then follow the instructions below from Matara.
From Matara: At the Matara central bus station, ask for the next departing local bus headed for Dickwella (more likely) or Hiriketiya (less likely). Bus 32-1 and 32-2 are supposed to be the buses that go by Hiriketiya, but I personally never had any luck getting on one and instead had to get on a bus headed for Dickwella (get off at the Dickwella Bus Stand). It’s approximately an hour journey to Dickwella from Matara and should cost no more than 200LKR. Alternatively, you could get a 30 to 40-minute tuktuk or taxi from Matara to Hiriketiya. Pay no more than 2000LKR for a tuktuk and no more than 5500LKR for a taxi.
Leaving Hiriketiya: To catch a bus to Matara, you’ll stand at the Dodampahala Junction and take any bus that passes that is heading for Matara or Pettah (if looking to get down the south coast towards spots like Weligama and Galle). Just flag it down and ask the driver if that’s where they’re headed. It should cost no more than 200LKR for the 1 to 1.5-hour journey to Matara. At the Matara bus station, you can transfer to your next bus or get a tuktuk to the Matara train station (150-200LKR).
By Private or Shared Shuttle
In Sri Lanka, 12go.com and Bookaway are king when it comes to finding and booking a private or shared shuttle transfer to pretty much anywhere in the country. You can also book your train tickets through them as well. Both sites have thoroughly vetted the on-the-ground local companies and drivers they work with, so you can trust who you’re getting in the car with and have the peace of mind of 24/7 support should anything go wrong.
Rent a Tuktuk, Car, or Scooter
If you’re comfortable sharing the road with Sri Lanka’s sometimes chaotic drivers (mostly the bus drivers), consider renting a car, scooter, or tuktuk. For car rentals, I recommend checking out DiscoverCars.com. It’s an award-winning car rental comparison site where you can find, compare, and rent a car. They include all mandatory fees, taxes, and extras in the quoted price and offer 24/7 support and free cancellation. For something more local and maneuverable, I recommend a scooter or tuktuk. For tuktuk rentals, check out the social enterprise tuktukrental.com and use code NOMAPS for 5% off your booking.
Getting Around Hiriketiya
Hiriketiya is entirely walkable, but if the heat gets to you, you can always call a taxi or tuktuk via Uber or PickMe.
What to Read Next
Everything you need to know for your trip to Sri Lanka, from city guides to pre-trip reading recommendations, where to find the best surf, how to extend your visa, and more.
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