Mount Lavinia Beach
West Coast · Colombo · nearest town Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Region
WestDistrict
ColomboNearest town
Dehiwala-Mount LaviniaWater
ModerateCrowds
urban, lively, local, romanticWheelchair
Galle Road ~12 km south of Colombo; buses, trains (Mount Lavinia station), taxis and tuk-tuks.About Mount Lavinia
Mount Lavinia is Colombo's classic beach suburb, a curved stretch of sand about 12 km south of the city centre that has drawn day-trippers and holidaymakers for nearly two centuries. The landmark is the white Mount Lavinia Hotel, built in 1806 as the British governor's residence (a hotel since 1947) on the headland at the beach's southern end, with its famous bar and terraces overlooking the bay. The beach below is busy and sociable: local families, joggers, couples and tourists share the sand, and a line of cafes and seafood restaurants, Sugar Beach among them, fronts the shore. The gentle, west-facing curve makes it one of the best places in Colombo for watching the sun drop into the Indian Ocean. It is an urban beach with urban issues, since near-shore water quality has been questioned in studies, but as a sunset, food and people-watching destination it is unmatched in the metro.
- ✓Historic Mount Lavinia Hotel (built 1806, a hotel since 1947) on the headland
- ✓Busy golden-sand beach about 12 km south of central Colombo
- ✓Sunset views over the Indian Ocean
- ✓Beachside cafes and seafood restaurants, including Sugar Beach
- ✓Popular with local families, joggers and couples
- ✓Adjacent to Dehiwala and the National Zoological Gardens
Best time to visit
Nov–Apr (dry season for this coast)
| Month | Avg high | Rain days | Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | ~31°C | 3–5 | Excellent |
| Apr | ~32°C | 8–10 | Good (peak heat) |
| Jul | ~30°C | 15–20 | Rough / rainy |
| Oct | ~30°C | 14–18 | Transitional |
Weather
Powered by WeatherAPI.com · marine data by Open-Meteo · updated daily
28.6
°
Feels like 32.7°
Patchy rain nearby
Wind 13 km/h WSW (gusts 13) · Humidity 74% · UV 6.5
☀ Sunrise 05:56 AM · Sunset 05:54 PM
Next hours
11 AM
28°
Patchy light drizzle
12 PM
28°
Partly Cloudy
1 PM
29°
Overcast
2 PM
29°
Patchy rain nearby
3 PM
28°
Overcast
4 PM
28°
Overcast
5 PM
29°
Partly Cloudy
6 PM
28°
Overcast
Next 7 days
Mon
28°
Overcast
84%
Tue
28°
Overcast
74%
Wed
28°
Patchy rain nearby
84%
Wave height: 1.1 m
Sea temp: 30.4°C
Swell: 1.1 m S
Forecasts are model-based; use the climate guidance above for season planning.
Surf conditions
FairSwell
1.1 m SSwell period
10sWind waves
0 m SSea temp
30.4°CWind
Onshore
Tide
Rising
Wind blowing straight in — choppier surface
Next 7 days — surf forecast
Mon
1.2m
11s
S
Tue
1.2m
11s
S
Wed
1.1m
10s
S
Thu
1m
13s
S
Fri
0.9m
17s
S
Sat
1m
14s
S
Sun
1m
12s
S
Tide is an approximate rise/fall read (model sea-level, not tide-table times). Surf rating is a general swell/wind read, not break-specific.
Nearby
Restaurants, hotels and more populate automatically from OpenStreetMap.
hotel
Haus Chandra Hotel
1,149 m
hospital
Siddhalepa
2,243 m
hotel
Berjaya Mount Royal Beach Hotel
1,447 m
restaurant
Pizza Hut
912 m
Cuisine: pizza · Mo-Su 11:00-23:00
restaurant
Lavinia Breeze
1,220 m
hospital
Dehiwala Medical Centre
1,256 m
cafe
Sumanadisi Bakery
259 m
hotel
Concord Grand
758 m
restaurant
Sawadee Beach Front
1,314 m
restaurant
The Shore by O
1,519 m
transport
Karagampitiya
219 m
restaurant
Steam Boat
1,176 m
Cuisine: chinese
restaurant
Perera & Son's
2,223 m
Cuisine: coffee_shop;pizza;burger;sandwich
hotel
Tropic Inn - Mount Lavinia
1,365 m
restaurant
Dinducal Thalapakattu Buriyani
1,016 m
hotel
Golden Rose Reception Hall
4,491 m
transport
Mount Lavinia Bus Stand
1,913 m
pharmacy
Harcourts
556 m
atm
Seylan Bank
2,053 m
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Holiday Resort for Disabled Army Officers
1,416 m
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Malsara
498 m
atm
BOC
761 m
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Mirage Hotel
2,386 m
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Sai Sea City Hotel
2,310 m
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Lafala Hotel
2,252 m
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Dammika Home
872 m
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Lavinia Villa
768 m
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Fifteen Beach Road House
1,011 m
hotel
Aurora Holiday House
1,096 m
hotel
Lavinia Beach Hostel
1,079 m
hotel
Mount Bay Hotel
1,297 m
hotel
Royce Hotel
1,183 m
hotel
Ocen Blue House
1,160 m
hotel
Ivory Inn
1,272 m
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Rivi Ras Hotel
1,737 m
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Aqua Marine Holiday Homes
1,668 m
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Golden Bridge Guest House
1,676 m
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Ranveli Beach Resort
1,749 m
hotel
Omni Holiday Bungalow
1,769 m
hotel
Relaxn On Hotel
2,013 m
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Mount Lodge
1,930 m
hotel
Lavinia House
2,002 m
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Prestige Court Residence Hotel
2,047 m
hotel
Hotel Sunhill
2,215 m
cafe
Jo-Jo's
1,268 m
hotel
Colombo Beach Hostel
1,257 m
hotel
Fair View Hotel Colombo
1,975 m
restaurant
The Coast Ocean Cuisine
1,676 m
restaurant
Kurumba
1,598 m
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Adhikaram Sea View Hotel
1,429 m
restaurant
Moon Nest Beach Wadi
1,474 m
restaurant
Babi's Tent
1,461 m
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Big John
1,356 m
restaurant
Sun Set
1,398 m
hotel
Windsor motel
1,066 m
restaurant
Beach House Bristo
1,179 m
restaurant
Lani's Place
1,137 m
restaurant
Waves
1,073 m
restaurant
Anura's Place
997 m
atm
HNB
847 m
atm
NSB
749 m
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New Siloam Guest
1,441 m
cafe
Perera & Sons
1,299 m
cafe
The Chariot
1,114 m
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Ocean Legend 2
1,215 m
atm
Commercial Bank of Ceylon
1,045 m
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Sosun Villa-Embassy of Maldives
2,813 m
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Suriyan Rest
3,020 m
hotel
The Vintage Club Hostel
1,764 m
hotel
34/1/1 Sumanarama Hostel
1,097 m
hotel
Silvikris Villa
2,715 m
restaurant
Aahara Wood Fired Kitchen
1,462 m
restaurant
Ruwala Beach park and Restaurant
1,499 m
restaurant
Tinder Lounge
1,521 m
restaurant
Arthur's Pizza
980 m
Cuisine: pizza
hotel
Mirage Hotel colombo
2,606 m
24/7
hotel
RoLanka
1,839 m
restaurant
Pizza Hut
1,937 m
Cuisine: pizza
restaurant
Glen Rich Restaurant
2,103 m
pharmacy
Prasan Pharmacy
1,945 m
hospital
Maternal & Child Health Clinic
2,262 m
hospital
Dr. Raveendra Rajapaksha
2,231 m
16:30-20:30
atm
BOC
1,829 m
hotel
Supun Arcade Residency
2,959 m
cafe
Barnes Garden Café
1,248 m
Mo-Su 07:00-22:00
hotel
The Regent Hotel
1,430 m
restaurant
Shelton Sea Food Restaurant
1,550 m
Cuisine: seafood
hotel
Cottage Garden Bungalows
1,412 m
restaurant
Catamaran Seafood Restaurant
1,543 m
Cuisine: seafood;barbecue
pharmacy
Ginsomin
1,340 m
restaurant
Sea shark
1,265 m
restaurant
Gihans beach Resort
982 m
11:00-23:00
restaurant
Marine cebab
1,568 m
restaurant
Sunil beach resort
1,657 m
restaurant
Mount breeze hotel
1,270 m
restaurant
Surf club
1,056 m
restaurant
Addara beach club
1,199 m
restaurant
La Langousterie
1,741 m
hospital
Maharhishi Ayurveda Hospital
2,231 m
restaurant
Thilanka beach resort
1,731 m
hotel
Chapelton House
3,136 m
cafe
Harpo's Pizza & Pasta
428 m
cafe
Chamenka Guest House
555 m
cafe
Frangipani
346 m
cafe
Clock Inn Dehiwala
283 m
restaurant
POL ATHU BATH KADE
870 m
restaurant
Spring Court
1,386 m
restaurant
Pizza Hut
2,297 m
Cuisine: pizza · Mo-Su 11:00-23:00
restaurant
Elite Indian Restaurant
2,106 m
Cuisine: indian · Mo-Su 10:30-23:00
hotel
Hotel Nelly marine
1,973 m
24/7
hotel
Mouli Villa Boarding Rooms
4,172 m
hotel
Mount Bay Guest House
1,301 m
cafe
Highland Milk Bar
1,999 m
Cuisine: coffee_shop
hotel
Solid Hotel
2,350 m
hotel
NKsea Food
2,545 m
pharmacy
no place
526 m
restaurant
Mathara Rathu Bath Kade
431 m
hotel
New Pillows Hotel
430 m
restaurant
Southeren Fried Chicken
233 m
restaurant
KFC
249 m
restaurant
Big Taste
1,687 m
Cuisine: barbecue
hospital
Navajeevana Health care centre
601 m
restaurant
Soul Beach Colombo
1,334 m
hotel
The Villa In Lavinia
947 m
hotel
Suraya House
2,430 m
hotel
Mount Lavinia Hotel
2,049 m
transport
CTB Depot
2,653 m
hotel
Great Southern Hotel
2,144 m
24/7
restaurant
Restaurant
870 m
hotel
Palm Beach Hotel
1,632 m
hotel
KDU Guest House
4,816 m
hotel
Anarva Hotel
1,904 m
hospital
Dispensary & Surgery
1,914 m
restaurant
Deck
1,324 m
Cuisine: chicken
hotel
Hotel Sapphire
2,478 m
24/7
hotel
Omega Inn
2,311 m
restaurant
Street Burger
1,593 m
Cuisine: burger
hospital
Central Dispensary Ratmalana
2,667 m
hospital
Navajeevana Health care centre
597 m
hotel
D Pavilion
2,867 m
24/7
cafe
P&S bakery
424 m
Reviews
★ 4 (1)
Scenery4
Water4
Cleanliness3.9
Facilities4.3
Crowds3.4
📌 Editor review
★ 4
Mount Lavinia is the best beach in the Colombo metro for sunset, food and atmosphere: the historic hotel, busy sand and beach cafes make it an easy evening out from the city. Visit in the dry season, treat swimming with caution, and time your trip for golden hour on the headland.
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Travel tips
▲10▼
Time it for sunset · 1 month ago
The west-facing beach delivers classic Indian Ocean sunsets; the hotel's bar terrace or a table at a beach cafe are the classic vantage points.
▲10▼
Use public transport · 1 month ago
Galle Road buses and the coastal railway (Mount Lavinia station) make the beach easy and cheap to reach from central Colombo; taxis and tuk-tuks are plentiful too.
▲10▼
Combine with nearby sights · 1 month ago
Dehiwala Zoo and the wider Colombo metro sights are a short ride away, making Mount Lavinia a natural base for city exploring with a beach on the doorstep.
▲10▼
Mind the seasons · 1 month ago
Dry-season months (Nov-Apr) are best for beach time; in the southwest monsoon the sea is rougher and swimming less appealing.
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FAQ
Conditions can be calm in the dry season, but near-shore water quality at Colombo-area beaches has been questioned in studies and currents strengthen in the monsoon. Most visitors enjoy the beach for walks, food and sunsets rather than swimming.
The hotel was built in 1806 as the residence of British Governor Sir Thomas Maitland, and became a hotel in 1947; it is one of Sri Lanka's most storied hotels, with a famous romantic legend attached to its name.
Besides the beach itself, there are beachfront cafes and seafood restaurants, the historic hotel with its terrace bar, sunset-watching on the headland, and easy connections to Dehiwala Zoo and central Colombo.
Questions from travelers
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