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Last updated on February 5th, 2025 at 04:27 pm
If you wonder what to do in Trincomalee, here’s our travel guide to Sri Lanka’s popular yet not at all crowded beach resort.
Sri Lanka has no shortage of stunning seaside towns. One of them is Trincomalee, a beach town located on the East Coast of the country, which suffered greatly during the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009).
Nowadays, Trinco, as locals like to call it, has put its difficult past behind and looks to a future of welcoming travellers from all over the world. Trincomalee is a laid-back destination that is a lot quieter than the beach towns of Sri Lanka’s Southern Coast. That said, it is equally fascinating.
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Where Is Trincomalee?
Trincomalee is a port city on the north-east coast of Sri Lanka. To visit Trincomalee district you need to drive about 5-6 hours from Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital.
How Many Days in Trincomalee
The obvious reason why anyone should plan a trip to Trincomalee is lying on its sandy beaches. However, there’s more to Trinco than just that. Sightseeing, water sports, wildlife observation, you name it.
This is why we believe that you should allocate at least 2 full days in Trincomalee when planning a trip to Sri Lanka so as to make the most of this easy-going and absolutely charming coastal town.
How To Get To Trincomalee
If Trincomalee is your first stop after landing to Colombo Airport, there are a few options to get from Colombo’s west coast to the coast of Trincomalee at the east.
Sri Lanka’s scenic train from Colombo to Trinco takes about 8 hours while the bus takes about 6.30 hours.
If you plan to rent a car in Sri Lanka, driving to Trincomalee by car will take approximately 5 hours. However, if you lack confidence driving on Sri Lanka’s winding roads on the left-hand side, the most convenient option is to hire a car with a professional driver.
Check out your options in the 12go platform to see what works out best for you.
Yet another upside of driving to Trincomalee, either by a rental car or with a professional driver, is that gives you the flexibility to stop whenever and wherever you wish.
Apart from the gorgeous nature itself, there are plenty of things to see along this specific route, such as the Buddhist Silver Temple.
One of our favourite stops en route from Colombo to Trincomalee was a pineapple plantation. We had no idea what the actual pineapple plant looked like until then.
We also had the chance to taste freshly cut fruit the way locals enjoy them. With a pinch of salt and, wait for it, chili. We know it sounds weird but it was heavenly.
Travel Resources For Your Trip To Trincomalee
Top 9 Things To Do in Trincomalee Sri Lanka
1. Explore Fort Fredrick
The Portuguese built a fort in Trincomalee back in 1624. That was later destroyed and in 1665 the Dutch constructed a new fort in its place, which they named Fort Frederick.
Situated at the tip of a narrow peninsula, the 17th-century Fort Fredrick is nowadays the most popular tourist attraction in Trincomalee. While wandering around, you can go shopping at different vendors selling souvenirs and fresh fruit or you can enjoy a King Coconut with the best ocean view at one of the cafés inside the fort.
Last but not least, while walking around Fort Fredrick, you will inevitably stumble upon the cutest animals you’ve ever seen, a species of dotted deer found only in Sri Lanka.
2. Marvel At The Impressive Koneswaram Temple
Within the area of Fort Fredrick, you can see Koneswaram Temple, a famous Hindu temple which is very impressive in terms of both scale and colour.
The temple has a long and very interesting history. Founded before 400 BC, it was then destroyed only to be reconstructed quite recently, during the 20th century.
If you’re not familiar with Hindu traditions or haven’t visited a Hindu temple before, this is a great place to learn a lot about them. Koneswaram Temple was the first of its kind we’d ever visited and being there gave us excellent insight into the practices and customs related to Hinduism.
Alongside its historical and architectural value, Koneswaram Temple is also unique for the jaw-dropping ocean views it offers. Yet another popular attraction to visit on Swami Rock, where the temple is built, is Ravana’s Cleft.
Legend has it that, when King Ravana’s mother fell ill, he wanted to move Koneswaram Temple to a different location so that it would be easier for her to visit. However, the Hindu God Shiva, the deity worshipped at the temple, made King Ravana drop his sword and that’s how the dramatic cleft was formed.
This location is also called Lover’s Leap after a young lady who fell from the cliff to her death when she saw the Dutch officer with whom she was in love sail on a ship back to his homeland.
3. Watch The Sunrise On Nilaveli Beach
Who wants to wake up at the crack of dawn while on holiday? The answer is simple: certainly not us. But what if we told you that sunrise in Trincomalee, Nilaveli Beach to be more precise, is an once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience?
We can’t even begin to describe how we felt when we saw the sun emerge in all its red glory from the depths of the Indian Ocean right before our eyes. All we could hear was the gentle sound of the waves as they kissed the golden sand and the ritual-like chant of fishermen as they hauled their seemingly endless fishing nets out of the sea. It was a mesmerising moment, to say the least.
To witness such a mesmerising sunrise book a beachfront hotel along Nilaveli Beach such as the 4-star hotel Trinco Blu by Cinnamon.
4. Spend Endless Relaxing Moments On The Beach
The island’s beaches are one of the best reasons to visit Sri Lanka in the first place. Although Sri Lanka’s south is renowned for having the most beautiful beaches on the island, there is no shortage of stunning beaches on the east coast too.
With some of the best beaches in Sri Lanka within easy reach, Trincomalee is the perfect place on the east coast to indulge in doing absolutely nothing but enjoying the sea and the sun.
Uppuveli Beach is the most popular beach near Trincomalee and home to the legendary Fernando’s Bar. Nilaveli is a lot quieter and the ideal beach to enjoy long seaside walks and the best sunrise of your lives. Last but not least, Marble Beach boasts the clearest waters of all Trincomalee beaches.
5. Mingle With Locals At Trincomalee’s Colourful Market
In our opinion, wandering around the town’s local market is one of the best things to do in Trincomalee. We enjoyed stepping inside old-fashioned stores that sold pretty much every little thing a household needs.
Our favourite, though, was the fruit and vegetable market. Products there were utterly fresh and you could tell that they came from small producers as normal quantities of each item was on offer rather than outrageously high piles of them.
We were reminded that real fruit and vegetables aren’t shiny, spotless and huge. They are small, funny-shaped but inconceivably delicious. Yet the almighty and super intelligent Western World throws such ugly fruit in the dump. What a shocking waste!
But the local market in Trincomalee was different. It was a glimpse into a past which seemed long lost and forgotten. A past when life was a lot simpler as consumerism and all of its evils were yet to emerge.
6. Join a Boat Tour
The most popular boat tour destination from Trincomalee is nearby Pigeon Island. Situated off the coast of Nilaveli Beach, Pigeon Island is one of Sri Lanka’s natural parks. It is home to some of the best coral reefs in the country.
This is the reason why the small island attracts many snorkelling lovers alongside regular beach-goers, such as ourselves.
Exploring Kunchikumban Aru Lagoon by boat is yet another great way to discover Trincomalee’s hidden gems. This boat tour takes you along the tranquil waters of one of numerous tanks constructed in Sri Lanka in ancient times.
All along the boat tour, one can observe various species of birds, especially eagles, as well as admire the incredible flora of the area.
7. Visit The Kanniya Hot Springs
The Kanniya hot water springs is one of the best places to visit in Trincomalee. The story behind the creation of these hot water wells is actually related to the legend of Ravana’s Cleft we mentioned above.
After his failed attempt to relocate Koneswaram Temple, King Ravana returned to his mother, only to find that she was already dead. In order to carry out the last rites for his dear mother, he stuck his sword in the earth many times and that’s how the seven hot water springs were created.
Nowadays, locals flock to the Kanniya Hot Springs as they believe that the water has healing properties. Each one of the seven small square wells on the ground has slightly different temperature from the others but they are all HOT water springs.
That said, it still felt strangely refreshing when we emptied a couple of buckets of this super hot water on ourselves on an equally super hot day.
8. Go Whale Watching
Sri Lanka is the ideal destination to observe wildlife in various forms. Apart from the obvious and mandatory option of an elephant safari, whale watching is also an exciting way to enjoy a unique experience in Sri Lanka.
Keep in mind that it’s not 100% certain that you will actually get to see a whale but a day out in the sea can never be a bad day anyway. Before you book one of the whale-watching tours, please make sure that the company you’ve chosen complies with all international whale watching guidelines.
9. Take in The Views of Kantale Tank
As mentioned above, Sri Lanka is home to many water reservoirs or tanks, as locals prefer to call them. One of the largest and oldest ones is Kantale Tank near the town of Trincomalee.
Kantale Tank provides the entire area of Trincomalee with water for cultivations and human consumption alike. To us visitors, Kantale Tank is an enchanting, almost surreal setting which is really worth a short stop.
If, while admiring the view, you hear a music tuk tuk coming your way, wave at it until it stops. I’m pretty sure you think I’ve gone completely mad, but, yes, tuk tuks that play music exist in Sri Lanka.
What’s more exciting is that these specific tuk tuks actually sell food, most of them bread, but it’s not uncommon to stumble upon an ice-cream tuk tuk as well.
Best Time To Visit Trincomalee
Sri Lanka enjoys constant warm temperatures at its coasts throughout the year. However, there are two monsoon seasons you should consider before planning your trip to Sri Lanka.
To avoid monsoons, the best time to add Trincomalee and the entire east coast to your Sri Lanka itinerary is from May to September. Moreover, the dry season is the best time to go whale watching in Trincomalee for higher chances to actually see blue whales.
Where To Stay in Trincomalee
This will be a short one: on the beach. If you decide to plan a trip to Trincomalee, make it worth every single second by booking a room in one of the hotels right on the beach.
Staying at a beachfront hotel like Trinco Blu by Cinnamon is a great chance to fall asleep by the sound of the waves for the world. Not to mention that it will be a lot easier to enjoy the spectacular sunrise in Nilaveli.
We enjoyed immensely our 2-day stay in Trincomalee during this first trip to Sri Lanka of ours. However, next time we are in the country, we’d love to check out more of Sri Lanka’s beautiful beach towns. Any suggestions? Let us know in the comments!
Disclosure: We travelled to Sri Lanka on a press trip organised by Sri Lanka Tourism. That said, we always share our very own and personal opinions about places we visit and services we try. Under no circumstances would we ever recommend anything we didn’t actually enjoy ourselves.