The small port of Kirinda on the south coast about 10km south of Tissamaharama is a strange and haunting place bypassed by most visitors. Here there is a rocky outcrop from which can be obtained some magnificent views of this desolate coast with its long stretch of sand dunes and the ocean beyond. On a clear day the lighthouse on the Great Basses Reef appears like a needle in the far distance. That's not all, for if you reverse your gaze you can see Tissamaharama in detail, especially the glistening dome of the Maharama dagoba.