Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa is best known on land for its coral sanctuary and lively beach strip of shops, guesthouses and restaurants — but just offshore, the diving is just as varied.

The shipwreck Conch is a firm favourite, along with Kiralagala, a dramatic, deep rock formation, and Hikkaduwa Deep Rock, riddled with a network of small caves and swim-throughs that reward divers who like to explore beyond open reef. Between dives, the shallow coral sanctuary just off the beach is worth a snorkel of its own, home to green and hawksbill turtles that are a near-guaranteed sighting.

The diving season runs November through May, and Hikkaduwa's compact size and easy road access from Colombo and Galle make it one of the more convenient regions to combine with a short beach holiday.