13 Best Things to Do on a Trip to Mirissa Sri Lanka

13 Best Things to Do on a Trip to Mirissa, Sri Lanka

4/15/2024

Mirissa, a beach town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, is truly one of the most peaceful and beautiful places we've visited. With a fraction of the crowds most beach destinations have, Mirissa has plenty of things to do for the whole family, and there's even plenty of delicious places to eat in Mirissa too.

What to Know Before Visiting Mirissa

Like I mentioned above, Mirissa is a small beach town on the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka. With less than 5,000 residents - you can find plenty of other visitors in the city, and yet the entire time we were there we never felt as though it was too crowded.

As you walk the beaches you can find local fishermen, giant palm trees, plenty of sea turtles, and many surf schools. To us, this felt like the idyllic place to spend a week doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying the beach (and heading to Yala National Park for a safari of course).

If this is your first visit to the area, I recommend visiting during the end of April like us to avoid summer crowds. Bring comfortable beach wear, and plenty of sunscreen. Although we were a little cautious about what to eat after just finishing a tour through India, we really had no stomach issues during our visit, although we tried our best to avoid ice and water. We also want to mention that the people of Sri Lanka were some of the kindest we met on our world trip, and especially want to highlight this Airbnb we stayed at that was just one block from the beach!

Best Things to Do in Mirissa

1. Yala National Park Safari
Our favorite experience in all of Sri Lanka was our safari experience through Yala National Park. Having visited the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, this Safari was really quite impressive. We saw an incredible amount of elephants, and they were much closer than any others we've experienced. The price range is also incredibly affordable, especially considering visiting the Serengeti in Africa can cost thousands of dollars per person. We were able to book this tour with round trip transportation from Mirissa that also included lunch, just be prepared for a full day of exploring (we got up around 4 am) and make sure to bring your camera!

2. Take the World's Most Beautiful Train Ride
Considered the Most Beautiful Train Ride in the entire world, you can take the train from Mirissa to other cities in Sri Lanka like Ella, Galle, or Kandy - however the most beautiful ride is said to be the journey from Kandy to Ella. To be completely honest though, in our personal opinion they were all quite similar. The train ride is incredibly cheap, however it can be quite chaotic and confusing, so we recommend booking ahead to make it as comfortable and easy as possible.

3. Snorkel with Sea Turtles
Something we never expected in Mirissa was that we would have the opportunity to snorkel with sea turtles! To be honest we were quite lucky, and just happened to see someone renting snorkel gear on the beach for $5. We said why not and headed out into the water, just to see multiple sea turtles swimming around right in Turtle Bay! Although it depends on the season you choose to visit, we had an incredible time observing these fellas in April!

4. Release Baby Sea Turtles
Like I mentioned above, we were very lucky to have rented snorkel gear by chance to see a few of them out in the ocean - well we were also very lucky to see a man with a bucket of baby sea turtles that said they would be released later that evening. The experience was completely free, and they were quite strict about how to hold and release them into the water (swim them out so the birds & tide doesn't get them). Having released baby sea turtles multiple times before, we were ecstatic to be able to experience it again in Sri Lanka. We also did this near Turtle Bay.

5. Relax at One of Many Local Beaches
Hands down when you visit Mirissa, one of the best things to do is to relax and enjoy the local beaches! Because the Airbnb we stayed at was only one block from Mirissa Beach we spent most of our time there, walking over to Turtle Bay when we wanted to. Another beautiful, yet commercialized beach, is "Secret Beach" - which just happens to not really be a secret anymore. Although it's beautiful, it was quite busy, and we much preferred the quiet shores of Mirissa Beach.

6. Rent a Tuktuk or Scooter to Explore
Similar to those exploring Bali, the best way to get around Sri Lanka is to rent a TukTuk or Scooter. You can find stores along the main street of Mirissa or ask your hotel/hostel what the best option would be. Make sure to use a helmet as the roads can get a bit hectic!

7. Learn to Surf at Surf School
As you walk along the beaches of Mirissa, one thing you'll see plenty of are Surf Schools! Although I really can't say which one is the best, we spent one day using the boards from Surf Shark near Black Sand Beach and Tyler had a great time trying to catch some waves!

8. Hike to Coconut Hill or Parrot Rock
Just a little ways bast Turtle Bay you'll find Coconut Hill - one of the top attractions of Mirissa. With gigantic palm trees and ocean views, this is the perfect hike if you're looking for incredible views. However because it is one of the most recommended attractions in the area you can also find quite a few tourists attempting this hike. Parrot Rock is a much easier option in our opinion, and although the ladders to get to the top can be a bit sketchy, the views of the town & beaches are just stunning.

9. Go Deep Sea Fishing or Watch the Locals
Although we simply watched the unique way the locals fish in Sri Lanka, another fun excursion is to actually try deep sea fishing yourself! With all the required gear included in the price of your booking, and if you're looking for something even more exciting - then you even have the option to try night fishing!

10. Hit up a Beach Party
Although this wasn't really our vibe, beach parties in Mirissa are known as some of the best. After the majority of beach restaurants change over to their night sets ups, you'll find that the drinks and parties actually stay busy until about 4 in the morning!

11. DIY Food Tour
Mirissa has an incredible amount of restaurants and cafes to eat at or enjoy a drink at - you can see our entire list of places to eat in Mirissa here but some of our personal favorites were "Oh! La La!!" "Paradise Beach Club" and "A++".

12. Head out on a Whale Watching or Snorkeling Tour
Whale Watching Tours in Mirissa, as well as Whale Snorkeling tours, are known to be some of the best in the entire world. As long as you visit during the whale season (typically November to April), you can expect some fairly close interactions.

13. Relax with a Spa Day
And after all that if you're still looking for something to do, then we recommend relaxing and unwinding from your other adventures at the local Ayurvedic Spa Day. Using oils, this relaxing experience is meant to rid you of any toxins and is great for your skin!

Watch our Adventures in Mirissa here!