Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa, in south-west of Sri Lanka, is a large costal area covering eleven different villages^[2] over six kilometres (3+1⁄2 miles) on the ocean, and three kilometres (2 miles) inland,^[3] in the Galle District,

Located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, this area is under the dual jurisdiction of the Hikkaduwa Urban Council and the Hikkaduwa Divisional Secretariat covering 24 km (15 mi) of coastline^[4] on the Indian Ocean.

The Hikkaduwa region is divided into three main areas (from north to south): the townsite; the tourist hub (Wawulagoda, Wewala, and Narigama ^[5]); and the upmarket area ^[6][7] of Thiranagama, which borders Narigama Beach (a 3 km (1.9 mi) stretch of sand extending through Patuwatha^[8] to Dodanduwa^[9]).

In the 19th century, during the British Ceylon period, Hikkaduwa region was "the great resort of picnic parties from Galle"^[10] (Galle was the largest city in southern Ceylon).

In the sixties, many hippies came to live in Hikkaduwa which was nicknamed Hippiduwa.^[11]

Its economy was based on fishing and coconut cultivation, which was replaced by tourism when its golden sandy beaches were widely discovered in the 1960s. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami affected Hikkaduwa along with many nearby villages.

Located in the Southern Province, Hikkaduwa is about 17 km (11 mi) north-west of Galle and 98 km (61 mi) south of Colombo. The Hikkaduwa region is divided into three main geographic zones (from north to south):^[5]

• The townsite, which includes public infrastructure (bus stand, harbor, railway station);
• The tourist area, with numerous hotels and restaurants (Wawulagoda, Wewala, Narigama ^[5])
• The upscale area ^[12][13] of Thiranagama where 5-star hotels are located (Haritha Villas,^[14] Riff Hotel^[15])

The Hikkaduwa National Park was the first Marine sanctuary to be established in Sri Lanka. It has approximately seventy varieties [1] of multi-coloured corals. In 2023, the Wildlife Conservation Department started to restore the coral reef.^[16] Live coral washed ashore with the waves are planted on coconut shell-shaped cement blocks dropped and nursed in the medium-deep seabed of Hikkaduwa.

Hikkaduwa town is famous for its nightlife.^[19]

To prevent the fragmentation of the clientele, only one nightclub organises a main party each night on a fixed weekly rotation:^[20]

Hikkaduwa is a popular surfing location on the Sri Lankan south-west coast.^[21] and has many different surf spots.^[22]

It attracts thousands of surfers between October/November and March/April.^[23][24] There are:^[25] shallow sand-bottomed waves, A-frame sections, harbourside waves, mellow whitewash to practice the pop, and fast left-hander waves.

Australians say that Hikkaduwa Beach is Sri Lanka's version of Kuta Beach (Bali).^[26]

Turtle beach, located at the northern end of Hikkaduwa beach, is a popular spot for observing sea turtles in their natural habitat. Visitors can see Green Sea turtles and Olive Ridley turtles swimming close to shore year-round, particularly during early morning hours. The area supports several turtle hatcheries and conservation centers that protect endangered species, incubate eggs, and release hatchlings into the ocean.^[27]

Extends for 3 km (1.9 mi) towards the south, in a broad and continuous sandy beach, this wide beach is calm^[28] with some luxury hotels^[29] and a few quality restaurants.^[30] There also are several surf stops there.^[31]

The big Buddha statue (Tsunami Honganji Viharaya) is 30 m (98 ft) high. It is a replica of the 6th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan destroyed by Taliban in Afghanistan. It was created using the earliest known sketches of the statue.^[32] It was built in remembrance of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami victims^[33] and to protect the people from harm.^[34]

The jungle around Hikkaduwa is rich in biodiversity. It is home to the purple-faced langur, an endangered and endemic monkey. Over sixty species of endemic birds, including herons, sandpipers, terns, egrets, and kingfishers, as well as rarer species such as the lesser whistling duck, the Asian palm swift, the white-breasted waterhen, the black bittern and Loten's sunbird.

Beneath the Indian Ocean lies a number of coral reefs, shipwrecks, and a great variety of fish and turtles. Turtles wade onto the shore to lay their nests and eggs. In the early 1980s, Arthur C. Clarke played a key role in persuading the government to declare Hikkaduwa a marine sanctuary.

Religious composition in Hikkaduwa DS Division according to the 2012 census is Buddhists 100,955 (99.06%), other Christians 317 (0.31%), Roman Catholics 293 (0.29%), Hindus 257 (0.25%), Islam 79 (0.08%), others 8 (0.01%).^[35]

Hikkaduwa is located on the Coastal or Southern Rail Line (connecting Colombo through to Matara). It is also located on the A2 highway, connecting Colombo to Wellawaya.

• Ryan Reynolds, American actor (Deadpool, Free Guy) stated in 2023 that “Hikkaduwa is his favourite movie shooting location of all time”.^[36][37]

• Sir Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction writer, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, lived in Hikkaduwa where owned and operated a dive school.^[38]
• Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera, buddhist monk

• Hikkaduwa National Park
• Hikkaduwa Urban Council
• Hikkaduwa Divisional Secretariat
• Thiranagama
• Dodanduwa
• Galle Fort