Hikkaduwa’s reef has been the reason for its popularity long before the town around it developed – a coral system within the Hikkaduwa National Park that supports marine turtles, parrotfish, and diverse reef fish accessible by snorkel directly from the shore. The reef’s status as a protected area limits the worst extractive pressures, though responsible snorkelling practice remains essential to its continued health. Above the waterline, Hikkaduwa has the easy energy of a town that has been well-regarded on the independent traveller circuit for decades.