Great Beaches in Trincomalee

Trincomalee has some of the finest beaches in Sri Lanka. During a brief lull during the height of the 30-year-old Sri Lankan civil war, my father took our little family to explore the alluring town. We didn’t forget to take the chance to visit some great beaches in Trincomalee back then!

There are several great beaches in Trincomalee thanks to the shallow sea and the ragged coast. The soft white sand and coral you find also add to the appeal. Even back then, Nilaveli was famously a great beach in Trincomalee. In the years between then and now, the beach has become more popular. But now that travellers can explore Trincomalee without fear of conflict, the area has had plenty of time to bloom. These days, Nilaveli is not the only well-known beach in Trincomalee. Rather, it shares the spotlight with several other beaches. But, who would complain about being able to visit a lot of great beaches in Trincomalee?

Why are Trincomalee's beaches so famous?

The coastline in Sri Lanka’s southern province tends to be ideal for surfing. Even the southeastern coast and the northwestern coasts offer opportunities for extreme water sports. The waves are larger and rougher and the sea bed is deeper.

But in Trincomalee, all those adrenaline-pumping activities come to a slow stop. The sea is shallower and calmer in Trinco, making snorkelling the sport of choice. The sandy beaches are also almost always wider than their famous counterparts in the south. And tend to be less crowded, which is always a great thing. All these factors create some truly great beaches in Trincomalee.

Uppuveli Beach

Uppuveli is an absolute treasure of a beach.

The sandy beach is far wider than the typically narrow stretches of coastline in the south. It is also perfect for swimming since the water is shallow and calm.

The beach tends to draw in a lot of crowds because of this, though. I’d recommend you to hit the beach on a weekday. You will have the beach largely to yourself.

There are facilities and diving centres nearby that offer snorkelling or diving lessons. It’s well worth spending an afternoon learning these necessary skills because the coral reefs off the coast are amazing.

So if you are curious about the great beaches in Trincomalee, don’t forget to visit Uppuveli.

Marble Beach

For so long, travellers chose between Nilaveli and Uppuveli.

But there are some recent additions to the great beaches in Trincomalee. Marble Beach is one of these new up-and-coming beaches. It can seriously give Trinco’s more famous beaches a run for their money. So why is this wonder of a beach not as popular?

Well, it sits nearly 20 kilometres away from Trincomalee. So not a lot of people knew about it post-Civil War. Only time and the freedom to explore let wanderers discover the cove, also known as Marble Bay.

The Sri Lankan Air Force maintains the beach. They do have a checkpoint at the entrance, and you might have to pay an entrance fee. But it is well worth the money.

The white powdery sand of the beach leads to shallow and VERY clear water. There’s not a lot of development to hurt the natural beauty of the cove. There ARE, however, a resort and a restaurant, so you can either stay the night or grab some refreshments.

Pigeon Island beach

Pigeon Island National Park is one of the rare marine parks in Sri Lanka. The two small islands don’t really offer much ON the islands themselves.

The real wonder of the place is only clear if you snorkel in the sea that surrounds the islands. Pigeon Island’s coastline is narrow. There are certainly more impressive beaches in Sri Lanka in terms of size. But, there is a reason that it is still one of Trincomalee’s best beaches.

It’s very safe to swim in. And you don’t even have to KNOW how to swim to spot the fish that dart from one coral reef to the next! The water is so clear that you can practically SEE the sandy sea bed just by wading into the water and looking down.

Plus, because fishing isn’t allowed, the fish are not shy about approaching humans. For instance, you can get a pretty close view of the blacktip reef shark that prefers the area!

Coral Cove Beach

One of the most beautiful of Trincomalee’s best beaches is the Coral Cove Beach.

Once you are there, the reason for the name is apparent. Magnificent coral reefs dot the sea bed. Thanks to the corals, dozens of colourful fish species can be seen at Coral Cove. However, strong undertows dominate the sea in this area. So snorkelling, no matter the temptation, comes with a lot of risks.

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