Trincomalee

About Trincomalee

Trincomalee grew up around one of the finest deep natural harbours on earth, which is why every power that wanted the Indian Ocean wanted this bay. Fort Frederick still guards the entrance, built by the Portuguese in 1624 and handed on to the Dutch and then the British; spotted deer wander its lane. At the end of that lane, Koneswaram stands on Swami Rock, a Hindu temple of real antiquity that the Portuguese pushed off the cliff in 1622 and that was rebuilt in the twentieth century - some of the original pillars were recovered by divers from the water below. The coast either side is the quietest good beach in Sri Lanka: Uppuveli close to town, Nilaveli further north and wider, Marble Beach south past the airfield. Offshore, Pigeon Island National Park has living coral and blacktip reef sharks in water shallow enough to snorkel. Inland, seven walled wells at Kanniya run warm. Season runs May to September, the opposite of the south.

Top Activities

• ✓Nilaveli Beach swimming & diving
• ✓Pigeon Island snorkelling
• ✓Koneswaram Temple visit
• ✓Whale watching (May–September)
• ✓Hot springs at Kanniya
• ✓Fort Frederick exploration

Nearby Attractions

Closest Places in This Guide

Straight-line distances; allow considerably longer by road, especially in the hills.

• Trincomalee War CemeteryHeritage2 km
• Uppuveli BeachBeach · Romantic2 km
• Koneswaram TempleCultural · Heritage3 km
• Marble BeachBeach · Family6 km
• Kinniya BridgeFamily · Nature9 km
• Velgam VeheraHeritage · Cultural11 km

Travel Tips

Travel Guides That Cover Trincomalee

• Sri Lanka Itinerary: 7, 10 and 14-Day Routes That Actually WorkThree routes for a first trip, built around realistic travel times, the current state of the hill-country railway and the coast that is in season.
• Sri Lanka's East Coast: Where to Go When the South is RainingArugam Bay, Trincomalee, Nilaveli and Pasikudah - the coast that comes alive from May to September, while the south sits under monsoon.
• Best Time to Visit Sri Lanka: A Month-by-Month GuideTwo monsoons take turns on opposite coasts, so somewhere is always in season. Where the weather is good in each month, and the festivals and wildlife worth timing a trip around.