Taprobane Island is a tiny private island just off the beach at Weligama, a few kilometres west of Mirissa. A single ornate villa sits atop the rock, surrounded by tropical gardens, accessible at low tide by wading across from the beach. The island is privately owned and operates as an exclusive rental property, but the view of it from the shore — that romantic little outcrop with its improbable house — is one of the south coast's iconic images.
You can wade out to see it up close at low tide without paying for the villa. The beach at Weligama in front of the island is also worth visiting for its stilt fishermen, a traditional technique where fishermen perch on poles driven into the sea bed to fish the shallow waters. This practice has become rare but a handful of fishermen still work in the traditional way.