Beira Lake in Colombo

Find serenity in its truest form in the placid waters of Lake Beira

Quick Information

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Best time to visit
Nov - Feb
Ideal Duration
3-4 Days
Visa
On Arrival
Starting from
Rs. 1,980
  • Culture
  • Wildlife
  • Nature

Beira Lake Colombo

Comprising almost 65 hectares of area, Beira Lake Colombo Sri Lanka is a location of epic scenic beauty.

Constructed and named by the Portuguese in the late sixteenth century, it was originally built as a means to defend against local kings. It worked very well, as it was guarded by crocodiles and its original area was much greater. Beira Lake was in fact so large that it had several islands, some of which were large enough to house a village and an entire plantation of coconut trees. The British took over and converted this beautiful lake into a spot for recreational activities such as rowing and yachting. Enjoying a Beira Lake boat ride is a popular thing to do here. There is no Beira Lake entry fees as such, but there are charges for boating and rowing.

Today, Beira Lake is connected to an intricate network of canals all over Colombo. This helps in easy transportation of goods across suburban Colombo. But back in 1810, Colombo’s first botanical garden, which is Kew Gardens was opened up in Slave Island. For over one hundred and forty years, Beira Lake has been home to Colombo Rowing Club and is now a serene place indeed. This besides, the lake is also home to several species of flora and fauna. Some of the most commonly seen examples are egrets, storks, cormorants, pelicans, monitor lizards, and a variety of fish. Swan boat rides around the lake are particularly enjoyable. Another big attraction at Beira Lake is the floating marketplace.

Currently, there are two islands in Beira Lake Colombo. One hosts the beautiful Simamalaka Viharaya and the other is known as Kaala Doowa. The Simamalaka Viharaya is a Buddhist place of worship built under Muslim patrons and local help. With exquisite blue roof tiles and a fancy wooden pavilion, this spot is an instant hit among tourists. The small, but beautiful island hosts a stupa and other small shrines to honor local gods and goddesses. There is also a Bodhi tree, which is of little surprise since it is a Buddhist shrine. Kaala Doowa is the other island in Beira Lake and is a well-known hotspot for romancing couples. The sunset and boat rides are particularly romantic here. To make things even more scenic and memorable, the island has quite a population of cute bunnies.

The lake is also very close to Viharamahadevi Park, Gangaramaya Temple, and Gangaramaya Park, all worth a visit. A steel bridge across the lake makes things even better. Especially during the Vesak festival, when the lake and the bridge are decorated as part of the festivities. Make sure to find out the Beira Lake timing before you head there.

One of the popular tourist places in Colombo, the lake is an ideal place to spend your evenings in Colombo after a full-day sightseeing tour. An early morning visit allows beautiful sunrise views and birding opportunities. Gangaramaya Temple, Viharamahadevi Park, and Galle Face Beach are notable places near Beira Lake.

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Colombo Packages Reviews

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Bhavana's 6 days trip to Colombo

Travco was good, but there was no point of paying 25k to travel triangle because neither ayush nor any of their teams helped us understand the visa process. We did it on our own. Travel triangle is a simple gateway, we understood but response and connection with customers has reduced and it is a point of concern. Cinnamon bey beruwala waves

Bhavana Chandramani Dhoudiyal Delhi

Aggarwal's 6 days trip to Colombo

It was a wonderfully managed trip, although tiring, but we had our moments, which will be with us for long...thanks

Aggarwal Ankit New delhi

Rishika's 7 days trip to Colombo

Great job done by Steeple Tours for our Sri Lanka itinerary. The trip was completely customized and as per our convenience. The guide was great and kept us informed. We had a lovely vacation.

Rishika Sood Pune

Padhu's 7 days trip to Colombo

Hi, We sincerely appreciate the wonderful arrangements your team made for our recent trip to Sri Lanka. Overall, it was a memorable experience, and we’re grateful for your efforts in showcasing this beautiful country—clean, green, and filled with warm, responsible people. The emphasis on road safety and the peaceful atmosphere added to our enjoyment. Highlights: The itinerary was well-curated, and most accommodations/transfers were seamless. Your team’s hospitality and attention to detail in key locations were exceptional. Constructive Feedback for Improvement: Hotel Concerns (3rd Stay): The remote location and lack of basic amenities at the third hotel made our family uncomfortable, especially as we were the only guests. A refund for this stay would be greatly appreciated. Transparency in Costs: Entry fees at temples/private attractions were unexpected. Clarifying these in advance or including them in the package would help future travelers. Similarly, sharing day-wise programs with detailed cost breakdowns (e.g., train tickets) would improve planning. Itinerary Communication: Providing a more detailed schedule (e.g., attraction entry times, fee lists) would enhance the experience. Request: Given the issues with the third hotel and unused train tickets, we kindly ask for a refund or credit for these. This would reflect your commitment to customer satisfaction. Also as agreed by your team return off $80 towards train arrangement which was cancelled due to local strike. Please note we lost $200 during the trip which was unexpected. Thank you again for the beautiful moments and your responsiveness throughout. We’d love to recommend your services with these refinements in place. Special thanks to Madhu who supported us through the tour Thanks to Aruna for safe driving Best regards, Padmanabhan

Padmanabhan R Chennai

Ashish's 8 days trip to Colombo

Had a great experience touring Sri Lanka thanks to Madhu for managing this well. And Roshan for driving us around. There were some confusion about the final payment in cash vs. online hope they would have communicated well on this. Roshan managed our expectations well and ensured our needs are taken care.

Ashish Kumar Surat

Suresh's 7 days trip to Colombo

I am from India tour to Srilanka CNB is the Superb Travel agent, they provided excellent hotels in beautiful locations, very good food and good Driver. Excellent cooperation. Thanks to Travel Triangle. Srilanka trip was Ramayana Circuit and Honeymoon trip.

Suresh Alicatta Hyderabad

Nayanamallesh's 7 days trip to Colombo

Our itinerary was perfectly customized to our preferences, thanks to Mr. Suna who was always prompt, polite, and helpful in addressing all our queries. The hotels were clean and spacious, except for one in Bentota, which was a bit dirty and noisy. The highlight of our trip was our chauffeur, Mr. Sumith. As a group of three girls, we felt completely safe and comfortable throughout the 7-day journey. He wasn’t just a driver—he became a friend and guide, always ready to solve any problem and suggest the best places to visit (or skip). His kindness and friendly nature truly made our trip special. We left Sri Lanka with beautiful memories and heavy hearts—the hardest goodbye was definitely to Mr. Sumith. This trip was an unforgettable experience, and we’re so grateful for the amazing hospitality.

Nayanamallesh Bangalore

Holsrio's 4 days trip to Colombo

Suna was very good and he answered all our questions with patience and even went out of the way to customize the package as per our requirements. Alika was also a very good driver and the vehicle was also very clean. The Ocean hotel in cmb was very good. Disappointed with the villa in Mirissa .Not upto the mark.. only pool and breakfast was good . Overall a very good trip made memorable by Suna and Akila. Best place was secret beach in Mirissa

Holsrio Mumbai

Vanitha's 8 days trip to Colombo

I recommend Travel Triangle for planning your trips. We recently travelled to Srilanka as family of 3 with a 2 years old toddler. TT assigned various local travel agents and I picked CNB Travel agency as they are good in listening my needs and customisation as per my need. Overall it was a comfortable and relaxing trip.

Vanitha KB Bengaluru

Subhojeet's 7 days trip to Colombo

We had taken a land package for our Srilanka vacation from Crimson voyages via Travel triangle. Nurshida from Crimsons voyages was our trip manager. I initially liked the swift and prompt communication with Crimsons which made me go ahead with their itinerary. We liked the way they greeted us at the airport. The hotels were also very good at all locations . However, the other experiences , could have been better. I am sharing few things which we didn't like about them. 1. The driver assigned to take us around was not even aware of the itinerary which was finalized with Crimson. Due to his lack of awareness, we missed our Colombo casino visit which was part of the package. I had to give him a copy of the itinerary separately to bring into his knowledge, what we were supposed to do. Till then he was simply blank. There seemed to be a huge communication gap within the team of Crimson. 2. A 7 GB SIM card was supposed to be provided to us as complimentary with the tour package. I had discussed the same with Nurshida before travel, however, after a lot of persuasions and follow ups, they gave me a used SIM with only 1.7GB data. The response from the backend team was very cold. Things could have been better. For every other thing they had an excuse that it is a New years’ time and shops are all closed ( in reality not all shops were closed and I had detail discussion prior to our travel). 3. Driver was not having any knowledge about the places. For every other thing which was promised to us, we had to keep following up with the driver or the tour manager. 4. The vehicle assigned to us was also not in good condition. Video system was not functional. Things did not look welcoming as initially we had hoped for. I hope Crimson voyages will take note of these feedbacks for their future clients. Thank you. Beach resort stay at Palms Bentota and stay at Araliya green city hotel.

Subhojeet Ghose New delhi

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FAQ's of Colombo

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Yes, visitors can enjoy boating.

The lake is open for visitors 24 hours. However, early morning and evening is a good time to visit.

Tourism in Colombo

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