Travel to Trincomalee

with beaches and diving

The port of Trincomalee is located on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka.

The town is set on a peninsula on the north side of the broad Koddiyar Bay, described in the past as ‘the finest natural harbour in the world’. It is also said to be one of the oldest cities in Asia, having served as an important port for at least two thousand years.

A small promontory to the eastern side contains the remains of Fort Frederick, which was built by the Dutch in 1624.

With a population of around 100,000, Trincomalee is an important centre for the Tamil population in Sri Lanka and, as such, was subject to considerable upheaval during the 1983-2009 civil war.

The town is home to several important Hindu temples and monuments.

Activities include various beaches, surfing, diving (May-Oct) and whale-watching, as well as visits to the small but pristine Pigeon Island, which lies about 2 km offshore from Nilaveli Beach.

The best time of year to visit the Trincomalee area is generally considered to be during the Jan-Sep northeast dry season.

Temperatures are more or less constant year round, with daytime temperatures around 33C/91F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures up at a potentially uncomfortable 25C/77F.

The main issue is rainfall, which is highest Oct-Dec and low for the remainder of the year, this being by far the driest part of the island.

The best time for diving at the east coast is Apr-Oct, when the sea is calm and visibility is good. During the converse season the northeast monsoon can cause seas to become rough, with periodic heavy rainfall, so the dive operations largely move to the southwest of the island, around the Galle and Tangalle areas.

Getting there

The Trincomalee area is usually reached by road. For our guests, this means combining it with various other locations on the island in a private guided overland safari, travelling in the company of an expert driver-guide. Popular connections include …

Anuradhapura : 2-3 hours
Jaffna : 3-4 hours
Sigiriya : 3-4 hours

The Trincomalee area also has a train service, connecting from Colombo, Kandy and Anuradhapura. If you specifically want to include a rail journey in your trip, then it should be possible for you to take the train, whilst your driver-guide drives on to meet you at the far end.

There are also internal flight services between Colombo and Trincomalee, so you can end your overland trip up here and fly back to connect with your departing flight.

Where to stay

The accommodation in the Trincomalee area falls into two categories …

If you are more interested in exploring the town, then there is at least one decent option on the peninsular itself.

If, like most visitors, you are more focused on the beaches and marine activities, then more likely you will want to head north to the Nilaveli area and beyond. The further north you go, the more rural and relaxed the atmosphere.

a longer Jan-Sep dry season here in the northeast