Diving in Mirissa

Diving in Mirissa, Mirissa Overview

Mirissa is a small town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka and is situated in the Matara district of the Southern Province of the country. This place is famous among tourists and locals due to its vibrant nightlife, numerous water sports and beach activities offered by the location.

Mirissa is one of the best beach destinations in southern Sri Lanka. The area has magnificent beaches, surf waves, whale watching and great restaurants. It has many luxury resorts and hotels surrounding it that offer world-class services to its guests.

It is a small village with golden sand, palm trees and with a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere that will make you forget your busy life for a while. It has gained lots of tourists’ attractions due to its remarkable features, world-class diving activities, and beautiful coral reefs.

Best Diving Spots in Mirissa

Mirissa has six best diving spots, and tourists can choose the one that fits their interest. Lopsta Point has an extensive reef and is suitable for beginners as it is not very deep, only about 15-17 metres in depth. The Napoleon point is a larger rocky area. It is much deeper, about 25-27 metres in depth. The Diyambagala Point is for deep divers, those who want to dive up to 35-37 metres. Godagala Point is fit for those who wish to see different varieties of fish during their diving experience, and you can give up to 17 - 23 feet here. Aththalaba Point is 8 - 21 metres in depth and is suitable for those who want to practice multi-level diving. Lastly, Reef Point is famous for underwater photography. It has a vast reef area with a depth of about 17 - 21 metres.

Things to Do in Mirissa

Mirissa is a fantastic place to sit back and relax as well as try an adventurous sport like scuba diving, reef diving, night diving, open water diving, deep diving, and even snorkelling. The place also offers dolphin and whale watching, windsurfing and kitesurfing. The area has many diving schools for those who want to learn diving. You can enjoy coral reef watching as the place is full of beautiful coral reefs and clear water.

Nightlife in Mirissa

Mirissa has several fancy restaurants and bars that will spruce up your experience here. The most famous bars that people go to in the evening include the Secret Beach Bar, Zephyr Restaurant and Bar, and Marissa Eye. These bars offer delicious food options, cold beer and amazing cocktails. The bars closer to the beach have night parties with fireworks, loud music and a lot of dancing.

Flora and Fauna of Mirissa

Mirissa is known for having an abundant marine life. You can spot many dolphins, species of whales and even the famous Blue whale in the waters. They have a boat ride that can take you dolphins and whale watching. There are several species of turtles, shrimp, and fish. The most beautiful coral reefs are found in this region.

Tips while Visiting Mirissa

The place is trendy for diving activities and hence gets very crowded throughout the day. If you want to have a pleasant experience, reach your preferred diving location early in the day as the afternoon time gets very busy and crowded.

How To Reach Diving in Mirissa

Mirissa is located on the Southern or Coastal Rail Line and on the A2 highway. It connects Colombo to Wellawaya. You can reach Marissa from Colombo by bus or by train. The bus that goes through Matara and from Colombo Fort will take anywhere between 3 - 3.5 hours and will cost LKR 250 for general seat and LKR 350 for air conditioned seats. You can also take a train from Colombo Fort to Weligama which is about 7 kilometres from Mirissa. The train will take about 2-3 hours to reach Weligama, and from there you can take a bus or tuk-tuk ride to reach Mirissa.