Mirissa Srilanka

Sri Lanka has been known by many names over the centuries. During the years under the British occupation is was known as Ceylon and many years before that it was called Serendib, a word now used to describe utter tranquility and relaxation.
It is said that Marco Polo visited this tear shaped Island in the 14th century and described it as " undoubtedly the finest island in the world ". 

Mirissa and its breathtaking sandy beach pretty much transforms your dreams and visions of a tropical paradise into an everyday reality.

Located close to the Southern tip of the Island of Sri Lanka and only about 200 km from the Equator, this secluded crescent shaped beach is the perfect place to sit back, relax and forget about all the hussle and bussle of your other life that’s a million miles away.

This small sandy tropical beach boasts some of Sri Lanka’s best and most stunning sunsets and sunrises.All the Guest Houses in Mirissa are set back from the actual beach giving you the impression that you are on a deserted palm fringed island. Every now and again the silence is broken by the sound of a coconut falling on the sand or a chilled beer being opened by someone further up the beach.

Mirissa Beach is close to the most Southern tip of Sri Lanka and in fact the Indian sub-continent as well. In the morning time you are greeted by gentle colourful sunrises and then the sun crosses directly overhead throughout the day finally ending up give you a breathtaking and memorable sunset.Each evening at sunset Mother nature offers you something different, one night the sunset could be fiery red and then the next it can the most beautiful pastel pink.
Many people grab a cool beer, bring restaurant chairs out onto the sand and sit and watch in awe at the array of colours as the sun sets behind the coconut trees on the hill.

The shoreline is blanketed with coconut trees and all the buildings and the places to stay in Mirissa are set back from the shore giving you the feeling that you are on a totally deserted beach somewhere .

Most people start off early on the beach and abandon it close to midday as the heat becomes intense around then. It’s a great time to retire to one of the many beach side bars and restaurants to replenish your lost fluids with a cool beer or a snack. After about 2pm you will start to see people coming back for their afternoon tanning session. Most of the guesthouses in Mirissa have beach chairs on the sand outside their back gate.

Unlike Tangalle and the beaches further along the coast, the shoreline of Mirissa beach gracefully slides into the ocean and there is no dangerous shelving making it a great place to bring kids and to leave them alone without too much worry. You can walk out into the water for about 20 meters before the water becomes waist deep. Beaches further up the coast have sharp drops and hidden shelving in the sands.Some days the water is completely flat and other days you are greeted by great waves originating from far out in the Indian Ocean. Nothing is more refreshing than hanging out where the surf breaks and getting a Mirissa Beach style Jacuzzi .If you are standing with your back to the land facing the Mirissa beach the beach runs left to right in front of you. The center of the beach is the most popular as it is usually the calmest and it has easy access to some of the local restaurants should you need lunch or a drink. Ocean Moon guesthouse in Mirissa has free fresh water showers just inside the gate should you feel the need to wash the sand and salt off you.

About 95% of the beach is sandy and rock free. The rocky bits are at both ends so if its snorkeling or surfing that you like then head there. The area around Parrot Rock on your left side is particularally popular with snorkellers while the right side of Mirissa Beach is rapidly becoming a popular surfing hot spot. Be careful though of the above water life and keep an eye out for incoming surfboards especially on the right side of the beach. I definitely would not recommend swimming in the right side of the beach because of the rocks, waves and sea urchins that are just waiting there for YOU to stand on them.If you are Snorkeling on the left side of the beach in and around Parrot Rock, be careful of strong currents and rip tides. Leave your belongings in your room because while you are underwater admiring the wonders of the Indian Ocean, the local kids will be admiring the wonders of your sunglasses and shoes and anything else valuble.

The right side of the Mirissa Beach is where the huge waves break and this area is extremely popular with the Surfing crowd , its not uncommon to see people here from all over the globe all satisfying their passion for riding the waves. Just listen for the Bob Marley music and you will know you are in the surf zone.The sand as you can see from the photographs is a light tan colour and the width of the beach depends on a combination of the following : the tide, time of the year or the Moon but it is usually about 10 – 20 meters .

Newtons Law : My Physics teacher would be amazed that I even remembered anything from his class and especially what Newtons Law actually was. In this case it is applied as follows.
Coconut trees are great to lye under as they give great shade from the baking sun. If you squint and look up at them you will see that they have coconuts growing on them. When coconuts are ripe or there is a strong breeze they detach themselves from the tree and here is where Newton come into effect, they fall down to earth with a mighty thud. If you happen to be at ground zero where it hits then you will be going home in a box. Imagine what a 3 kilo rock hard coconut falling from 60 feet could do to your head. I am sure that there is a photo somewhere online you could find.