Sri Lanka has many beautiful beaches but there is something special about Secret Beach in Mirissa.
This ‘Secret Beach’ is actually a Not-so-secret-beach in Mirissa as many people now know about it. I can only presume that at one point it was a place enjoyed only by the locals before tourists sniffed it out!
That said, these days Secret beach in Mirissa is easy to visit and well signposted. All tuk-tuk drivers will know where Secret beach is although you can follow the directions below or see this map to find it for yourself if you like.
Since Sri Lanka has gathered popularity with tourists, it can be hard to find a peaceful beach where you can relax without huge crowds. Therefore finding Secret beach in Mirissa was amazing and it was one of my favourite places on the south coast of Sri Lanka (along with Dalawella beach.) I would have loved to have stayed longer at both places and I’d encourage you to put both beaches on your Sri Lanka itinerary.
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What you can expect from this article…
- 1 What to expect at Secret Beach
- 2 How to get to Secret Beach from Mirissa
- 2.1 Walking directions to the Secret Beach from Mirissa main beach
- 3 Things to know about visiting Secret beach in Mirissa
- 4 Frequently asked questions about visiting Secret Beach
- 4.1 What amenities are there at Secret Beach Mirissa?
- 4.2 Is it safe to swim at Secret Beach?
- 4.3 When is the best time to go to Secret Beach?
- 5 Where to stay near Secret Beach in Mirissa
- 6 Photographing Secret Beach in Mirissa
- 7 Other things to do near Secret Beach.
What to expect at Secret Beach
When you arrive at Secret Beach you will walk through the little restaurant to reach the actual beach. There is a lagoon in front of you which is the safest place for swimming, especially if you have children.
If you are looking for a quieter area to sunbathe and don’t want to hire a sun bed then follow the beach to the left. Keep going to the end of the beach and you’ll find a nice shady area under some palm trees where you can set up your towel to relax.
How to get to Secret Beach from Mirissa
There are several ways to get to Secret Beach in Mirissa. You can choose to walk, hire a moped or take a tuk tuk.
The walk is very steep and takes about 20-minutes from Harbour road. If you are walking, I’d encourage you to go early as it will be a lot of hard work in the hot sun!
If you take a tuk-tuk, they will often only take you to the last fork in the road as the road becomes very rocky from there on. Tuk-tuks belonging to the beach restaurant will make this crazy route and will often offer to drive you back up but be prepared to pay more than you normally would as it’s not a very tuk-tuk friendly journey. To get back to our hotel all the way from the beach, they quoted 1000RS – way more than you would ever normally pay for a tuk-tuk!
We took a tuk-tuk from Coconut tree viewpoint (more on that later) which cost us 200Rs to be dropped off on Harbour road where we then climbed the remainder. They quoted 600Rs to go that bit further to the top of the hill just before the final fork. They could not be talked down from this but it still seemed pricey for this area. Looking back, I’d have paid the extra 400Rs as it was a very hot and sweaty walk!
Walking directions to the Secret Beach from Mirissa main beach
Go west on Beachside road (this will be left if you are looking at the road from the main Mirissa beach.)
This becomes Harbour road by ‘Molly’s house.’ You will be turning left just before you reach Mirissa Water Sports. (It is signposted.) Turn immediately left again. At the next fork, keep right and then when you come to the 2nd fork, you will be walking left, down the hill, passing by a lady selling coconuts and fresh water.
The route is well signposted so it should be easy to find even without these directions!
Things to know about visiting Secret beach in Mirissa
- Secret Beach is no longer a secret so get there early before the crowds do!
- There is lot’s of wildlife about so don’t leave food lying about or it will get stolen by a cheeky monkey or a local dog!
- There are lots of turtles along this part of the coast so keep your eyes peeled if you go for a swim or snorkel.
- The tide comes in quickly so make sure you put your belongings out of the waters reach. We hung our belonging off a nearby palm tree which we were glad off when a big wave soaked our feet as we sunbathed!
- There is no entrance fee.
- Snorkel sets and day beds are available for a small fee.
Frequently asked questions about visiting Secret Beach
What amenities are there at Secret Beach Mirissa?
You will find a simple restaurant (nothing flashy,) another drinks bar and place to hire a snorkel or a day bed for around 500Rs (as of April 2019.) There are toilets at the restaurant.
You can also stock up on cold drinks or get yourself some fresh coconut juice at a little stall on your way down to the beach.
There will be no shops to buy sunscreen so make sure you take plenty with you.
Is it safe to swim at Secret Beach?
The waves along the Sri Lankan coastline are always pretty ferocious and it can sometimes be tricky to find somewhere safe to swim. However, you are in luck at Secret beach! There is a wall of rock which creates a lagoon where the water is shallow and calm enough to swim making this one of the best beaches in Sri Lanka for water lovers. However occasionally a wave comes over the top so watch out you don’t get knocked up against the rock!
If you are a strong swimmer then you may also be fine to swim out from the beach but it’s always worth checking with the locals about currents. I managed a swim here but I am a strong swimmer. I did however get knocked up against a rock when a big wave came in so please take care!
When is the best time to go to Secret Beach?
The best time to go to Secret beach in Mirissa is early in the morning. Even though it’s nowhere near as busy as Mirissa’s main beach, it can get busier from late morning onwards. When we arrived about 10AM, we almost had the beach to ourselves. I wish now we had got up even earlier to make the most of this peace and quiet!
Also bare in mind that it gets really hot in Sri Lanka so try to avoid lying out in the sun at midday or in the early afternoon when the sun is at it’s strongest.
Where to stay near Secret Beach in Mirissa
I stayed at Mandara Resort in the Weligama district of Mirissa. It’s a beachside 4-star hotel with a heated pool and air conditioning and wifi throughout. I often judge hotels based on the breakfast and so this place gets 10/10 for being the best breakfast I had in Sri Lanka – literally every breakfast food you can imagine.) The staff were super helpful and I loved all the little attentions to detail such as coming back to find our towels folded into the shape of a dog! Rooms start from $55/ night including breakfast.
If you are looking for a more budget option, I’d suggest checking out JJ’s hostel, Orchid Rest or The Leaf.
Or for all-out luxury, check out Villa Oceane, Three Gables Boutique Villa or The Sandhya.
Click here to see Mirissa Hotels
Photographing Secret Beach in Mirissa
I’d recommend coming early to Secret Beach when there are less crowds and the light is better. Golden hour just before sunset would also be a beautiful time to take photos. Unfortunately despite my best intentions to get up early, I didn’t get here until 10 am when the light was getting a little harsh.
As with all travel photography, I’d recommend thinking outside the box to try and get unique photos. Try a different angle – here’s one from above captured with my DJI spark drone. Or try to capture the little details like the waves crashing on the rock.
Photos on beaches can occasionally look a little flat so try to find something to place in the foreground for example, crouch down beside the rocks to give your photo more depth.
Other things to do near Secret Beach.
There are plenty of things to do in Sri Lanka and Mirissa is no exception. In fact, there are so many things to do in Mirissa that it would be worth spending a few days here to properly explore the local area. Mirissa is famous for its brilliant surf so consider taking a surf lesson. Mirissa is also one of the best places for whale watching to see the mighty Blue Whale which measures up to 30 metres long – the size of a bus! Make sure you do your research about which company to use as some less reputable companies are guilty of herding the whales which is not nice!
I also loved visiting Coconut Tree Viewpoint and combined this with a visit to Secret Beach. It’s best to go early as its very scenic so if you want a photo with no one else in, get there before everyone else does!
It’s also possible to arrange a day trip to Galle, a dutch walled city and UNESCO world heritage site where there are plenty of shops, restaurants and old churches to explore. Sunset at Galle is also really beautiful.
Book whale watching here
I visited Sri Lanka with G Adventures on the Sri Lanka Encompassed Tour. We had 3 days in Mirissa at the end of the tour which is when I visited Secret Beach. The tour comes highly recommended and we got to see all the best bits of Sri Lanka in just 2 weeks!
Check out the Sri Lanka tour I took
Hopefully that has helped to answer any of your questions about visiting Secret Beach or getting there from Mirissa. If you have any other questions, please pop them in the comments below.
In the meantime, have you considered a trip to Dalawella beach, home of the Instagram-famous swing? If not, then why not head over and read about Dalawella beach now?!
Or maybe you are looking for more inspiration for your trip to Sri Lanka? In which case these 57 awesome things to do in Sri Lanka and this 10 day Sri Lanka itinerary may come in handy.
