Trincomalee
Hindu temples, whales, rugged rainforest-covered sandy beaches, a headland and fantastic beach resorts... the Hindu port city of Trincomalee is not only a beautiful place for beach holidays, but also for those interested in culture.
Trincomalee also serves as a starting point for the fantastic snorkeling island called Pigeon Island to the north. Especially in European spring, summer or autumn, Trincomalee on Sri Lanka's east coast is an ideal destination. Interested parties can find everything about travel time, excursion destinations and destination combinations here!
Things to do near Trincomalee
The small town of Trincomalee has a population of 115,443 and is not yet an obligatory stopover on the tourist routes. Its eventful history has been shaped again and again by Dutch, Portuguese, French and British invaders. Some beautiful temples bear witness to the city's original religious past.
- Pigeon Island : About 23 km north of Trincomalee off Nilaveli Beach is the island with a coral reef. Around the 2.5 km offshore marine reserve you can snorkel and on the beach there are some popular restaurants and bars.
- Culture : If you need a change from ping and bathing, the Hindu pilgrimage site of the Koneswaram Temple is a religious highlight with shrines, carvings and a massive Shiva statue. It stands very prominently on the cliff on the headland at Back Bay.
- History : Fort Fredrick was built in the 17th century on the Swami Rock peninsula, a military installation with free-roaming deer that is used as a passage to the temple and makes for a beautiful photo opportunity with thick-rooted trees and cannons.
- Whale watching : From March/April to May (September) during the dry season, blue whales can be spotted off Trincomalee's coast. The whales migrate north from the south coast near Mirissa. The whale watching trips by boat are often accompanied by dolphins. Dolphin season is from March to September.
- Wellness : A little west of Trincomalee are the hot springs, the "Kanniya Hot Springs" (Seven Wells), where there are different temperatures and where you can tread water.
Beaches near Trincomalee
The port city of Trincomalee is located on the narrow entrance to a headland and just as interrupted and rugged is the golden yellow beach landscape that spreads south and north of the city. In the south stretches the wooded, bay-rich peninsula, to the north the beaches are smooth and elongated. About 6 km north is the beautiful beach of Uppuveli and 6 km further north is the secluded beach of Nilaveli, from where you can reach Pigeon Island by boat.
Arrival and transport to Trincomalee
Trincomalee is accessible by public transport by train or bus. There are, for example: Connections to Kandy (approx. 6 hours by bus), Anuradhapura (approx. 4 hours by bus), Colombo (approx. 7 hours by bus or 9 hours by train) and Nilaveli (20 minutes by bus). From Colombo there are flight connections to Trincomalee China Bay Airport.
Best time to visit Trincomalee
The best time to travel to Trincomalee on Sri Lanka's east coast is from February to September. The temperatures during this time are 24 to 33 degrees, the water temperatures are 28 to 31 degrees. The monsoon causes downpours around Trincomalee between October and January.
