East Coast
Trincomalee
One of the great natural harbours of the world, a Shiva temple on the cliff above it, and whales offshore in the opposite season.
- 3 nights
- Best May to September
Trincomalee has a harbour so good that the Portuguese, Dutch, French and British all fought over it, and Nelson called it the finest in the world. It is a deep, sheltered basin formed where a submarine canyon reaches almost to the shore, and that same canyon is the reason blue whales come close to land here between May and September.
On the headland above the harbour stands Koneswaram, a Shiva temple of very great antiquity that the Portuguese pushed into the sea in 1624 and which has been rebuilt on the same rock. The cliff below it is called Swami Rock, and the water at its foot is a hundred metres deep.
The beaches — Uppuveli and Nilaveli, a few kilometres north are broad, pale and calm through the eastern dry season. Pigeon Island lies just offshore with living coral and reef sharks. The town itself was heavily affected by the war and the 2004 tsunami, and is still visibly rebuilding.
Why come here
What Trincomalee is for
- 01
The inverse season
Dry, calm and swimmable from May to September, when the entire south-west coast is closed by monsoon. For a European summer holiday, this is the coast.
- 02
Whales without the crowd
The same blue whales as Mirissa, in the opposite months, from a port with a fraction of the boat traffic.
- 03
Koneswaram
A living Shiva temple on a cliff over the harbour, with a history of destruction and rebuilding that is bound up with the whole colonial story of the island.
Top experiences
What we would actually do
Not a list of everything possible — the handful of things we put into itineraries, and when.
Whale watching from Uppuveli
Blue and sperm whales between May and September, with far fewer boats on a sighting than the south coast in season.
Snorkelling at Pigeon Island
A small marine national park with live coral, reef fish and blacktip reef sharks in the shallows. Go on the first boat; visitor numbers are capped but the middle of the day is still busy.
Koneswaram at dusk
The temple on Swami Rock as the light goes, with the harbour on one side and open ocean on the other.
The hot wells at Kanniya
Seven small wells of varying temperature, of uncertain age and considerable local significance. Odd, quick and worth twenty minutes.
Highlights
The things themselves
Koneswaram Temple
On the cliff above the harbour; among the most significant Shiva temples in the country.
Nilaveli and Uppuveli beaches
Wide, pale sand and calm water through the eastern dry season.
Pigeon Island National Park
Coral, reef fish and blacktip sharks, ten minutes offshore.
Fort Frederick
Portuguese then Dutch then British, and still partly a military area, with deer wandering the grounds.
The harbour
The deep natural basin that made the town strategically fought-over for four centuries.
Working out how many nights Trincomalee is worth?
It is the question we answer most often, and the honest answer changes with what else is on your route. Tell us where else you are going and we will tell you how long to stay here.
Travel information
The practical part
- Suggested duration
3 nights
Three nights covers whales, Pigeon Island and the temple with a spare day for the weather. It is a long way to come for less.
- Best time to visit
May to September
The east coast dry season, and the exact inverse of the south. Seas are calm, the sun is reliable, and this is when whale watching runs.
When not to come. October to January, when the north-east monsoon brings heavy rain and rough water and the boats stop going out.
Travel tips
- 01
Around six hours by road from Colombo, or an easy add-on from Sigiriya at about three hours — which is how most itineraries reach it.
- 02
Pigeon Island is best on the first boat of the day. Do not stand on the coral, and reef-safe sunscreen matters here more than most places.
- 03
Koneswaram is an active temple: shoes off, shoulders and knees covered.
- 04
Parts of Fort Frederick remain under naval control and photography is restricted in places.
Nearby
What pairs with it
Sri Lanka is small, and the best itineraries cluster rather than criss-cross. These are the natural neighbours.
Questions
About Trincomalee
It is entirely a question of month. May to September, Trincomalee, without hesitation. November to April, the south. Trying to do the south coast in July is the most common planning mistake we correct.
At Pigeon Island, yes — genuinely good live coral and dependable reef sharks. It suffered bleaching and has recovered patchily, so it is very good rather than world-class.
Very neatly. It is about three hours from Sigiriya, so the classic eastern shape is Cultural Triangle first, then down to the coast here for the beach half of the trip.
Keep reading
More on Trincomalee
Longer pieces from the journal, and the wider trips this place belongs to.
Travel by interest
Start planning
Build a journey around Trincomalee.
Tell us when you are thinking of travelling and we will tell you honestly whether Trincomalee is right for those months — and what to pair it with.