Hiriketiya Turtle Beach: The Bay Tourists Never Find
Hiriketiya turtle beach surprised us. After living nearby for two weeks and visiting Turtle Point multiple times, we’re sharing exactly what to expect: gear rental prices, tide risks, turtle behavior, and why this beat every other spot on the south coast.
Every time we thought that Hiriketiya is overrated, we found a nice place, away from the crowds that change our mind.
To be honest, I thought this little turtle bay in Hiriketiya was going to be another tourist-heavy disappointment, but I was actually surprised by how many turtles we saw just a few meters from the shore. The conservation area is a unique natural bay for turtles.
We loved Hiriketiya turtle beach, which isn’t technically part of the main village. Actually we loved it way more than the main Hiriketiya bay and made the whole trip worth. Instead it’s the nicest part of Batheegama Beach, past the Dickwella side. Right behind the main rocks, dividing hyped from the hidden gem.
We snorkelled there, lounged for just 500 LKR, and saw huge turtles roaming free. This guide is to turtle beach Hiriketiya
In our experience, this is the best place to snorkel in Hiriketiya if you want to avoid the “Instagram trap” crowds. Not just that, we rank turtle point as one of the best beaches in Hiriketiya overall, even higher than the main bay.
If turtles aren’t enough adventure, pair this with our Blue Beach Island day trip for a full off-the-beaten-path day. There are plenty of things to do in Hiriketiya, that definitely you’ll never get bored.
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👋Toti & Ale here
London couple, 45+ countries, 300+ guides. We are full-time content creators, travelling as slowmads, spending quality time in places we love the most. We run this and several other blogs from the best places in the world. TWe spent two weeks based in Hiriketiya, snorkeling Turtle Point at sunrise, sunset, and midday to test tides and turtle activity firsthand.
August 21, 2026 Updated
Is turtle point in Dickwella worth it?
Yes, Hiriketiya turtle beach is worth it, but only if you go for the right reason. We didn’t find the polished beach club like in Hiriketiya bay. Honestly it’s hard to find signage that points you to the shore.
However, while rough, it was real. We also loved the fact that locals enforce the conservation effort of the bay.
You can book this trip with Heros Adventures on a boat with an extremely detailed guide and explore the coral reef of Turtle beach and Blue beach in a safe way.
You’ll not find rubbish on the shore, like many other beaches. Locals really take great care of the lounges and each one stretches.
There are a couple of cafes, but these come with the reality of the place, not the polished tables and instagrammable smoothie bowls. For that, head to the main strip, and read our guide to the best cafes in Hiriketiya.
Perhaps that’s why we appreciated the dickwella part more. We were looking for something less formal and sparkling than the main town Hiriketiya. Coming here we knew we were directly contributing to local families which prioritize conservation projects more than profit. There is a clear intent of serving less people to avoid endangered turtles. We’ve seen leatherbacks and green turtles in this bay.
Don’t be like many when we visited trying to get as close as possible to the turtles. A guy was on a video call, and he literally rushed to show what he could see to the people on the other side. The turtle was approaching closer. Of course the turtle ran away, because scared.
Where is Turtle Point Hiriketiya?
The map above will help you find it easily. However, you must know that turtle point isn’t actually in Hiriketiya, but in Dickwella. This is the exact location on the map. While before visiting Southern Sri Lanka, we didn’t get that these two towns were closer to each other, we definitely saw the difference living it.
Turtle point Bathigama as locals refer to it, is technically on the other side of our favourite beach in Hiriketiya to watch the sunset: Dickwella Batheegama Beach. It’s a small bay delimited by the white wave rock viewpoint. Not many surfers here, because the sea is calmer. So perfect for swimmers, and of course snorkelling.
What you should know about Dicwella beaches
Dickwella is the non-touristy side of Hiriketiya. We visited the local market (It’s bigger on Saturday, standard during the week, closed on Sunday), some other beaches, and ate there (20% cheaper than Hiriketiya town).
Anyway, the turtle spot most people go to, and the one we discuss in this guide, sits on the Dikwella or Batheegama side. It’s commonly called Turtle Point, in a small bay where turtles come close because the water is shallower and there is food around the rocks and sea weed.
If you’re working remotely from Hiriketiya for a while, a slow morning here is the perfect midweek reset.
How to get to Turtle beach in Dickwella
We thought it would be more difficult to find turtle beach. Instead, we drove about 10 minutes from Hiriketiya town, following the fast paced New Tangalle Road. Expect to give way to rushing buses, they are crazy.
Park here can be tricky though. We didn’t find much space and parked on the side, which was fine according to the locals. We entered by the narrow lane where there is – The Good Kitchen – which is by the way one of the greatest places to eat in Hiriketiya.
Drove until the end of the road, Ale had to get down, as it’s sandy and can be slippery. No parking fee, just remember to lock your bike.
We highly recommend renting a scooter to explore the south coast properly. It gives you total freedom to jump between the surf breaks and the calm turtle spots.
If you arrive by bus on the main road, grab a tuk-tuk for the final stretch. Walking with heavy bags and snorkel gear in the midday heat is a brutal rookie mistake.
What the snorkelling is really like
The turtle point was what turned our Hiriketiya itinerary from just surfing and chilling, to actually amaze us. To be fair we’ve had our share of snorkelling days while exploring the south coast of Sri Lanka for two and a half months.
Dickwella turtle beach was a highlight (Mirissa still has the best beach for spotting turtles though). The water was very clear, we could see turtles even without masks, just standing.
They aren’t afraid of swimming nearby and mostly we found on the right hand side, where there are rocks (of course algae).
To see turtles, you don’t have to make compromises, swim off shore. Turtles are right on the shoreline. If you want the best place to snorkel in Hiriketiya without leaving town, the Dikwella side is where to go.
How much cost the snorkelling gear
Exactly how much does a snorkel cost in Hiriketiya? We tracked every rupee. The beach entrance itself is completely free, and the lounge too if you rent snorkel gear.
It was a bargain, and to be fair we didn’t expect that. Price is set for everyone, so it doesn’ t matter if you take the first raw, first vendor or the last. We rented masks from the second shack for 500 LKR each – with free use for the whole day.
There are several masks to choose from, including full facial ones (we tried and switched straight away). I don’t know how comfortable you are with musks that everyone uses, but we washed accurately before using. Definitely would love to have my own gear if we weren’t minimal backpackers.
Anyway, being a premium spot, drinks were cheap, so we got fresh coconut for 300 LKR. We’ve seen people bringing their own snorkel gear, and taking a drink given the right to stay in a lounge included in the price.
Best time to spot turtles
We went there twice, and definitely the early morning is the best time to spot turtles. Another good time was also at sunset, when many turtles came up, and we could see them also just sitting in the lounge.
According to locals, they suggest staying on the beach around 7 AM. However, we can assure you that also when we snorkelled in the small bay around 11 AM till 3 PM we saw plenty of turtles.
Regarding the season, I suggest going during the dry season (December to March) when the water is crystal clear. We were there in the shoulder season, and while it was still great, the visibility was a bit “milky” at some point after a heavy rainstorm.
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