Trincomalee, located on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka, is renowned for its stunning beaches, but there’s so much more to this coastal gem than just sun and sand. This hidden paradise offers a plethora of activities and attractions that will delight travelers seeking unique experiences. In this blog, we’ll delve into the top things you can do when you visit Trincomalee, giving you a deeper appreciation for the rich cultural heritage and natural wonders of this enchanting destination.

Visit the Ancient Koneshwaram Temple:

One of the most iconic landmarks in Trincomalee is the Koneshwaram Temple, also known as the Temple of a Thousand Pillars. Perched atop Swami Rock, it offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. The temple has a history dating back thousands of years and holds great religious significance for Hindus. Explore the intricate architecture and immerse yourself in the spiritual aura of this sacred site.

Snorkeling and Diving:

Beyond its picturesque coastline, Trincomalee is home to vibrant marine life and coral reefs. Grab your snorkeling gear or join a diving expedition to discover the mesmerizing underwater world. Pigeon Island National Park, just a short boat ride away, boasts some of the best snorkeling and diving spots in the region.

Whale Watching:

Trincomalee is renowned as one of the best locations for whale watching in Sri Lanka. Embark on a thrilling boat excursion to spot majestic blue whales, sperm whales, and dolphins in their natural habitat. Be prepared for an awe-inspiring encounter with these gentle giants while you stay at Trinco Blu By Cinnamon.

Explore Fort Frederick:

History enthusiasts will delight in visiting Fort Frederick, a colonial-era fortress built by the Portuguese and later captured by the Dutch and British. Wander through its massive ramparts and admire the blend of architectural styles. The fort also offers panoramic views of the town and the natural harbor.

Uppuveli and Nilaveli Beaches:

While the focus here is not solely on the beaches, a trip to Trincomalee wouldn’t be complete without visiting Uppuveli and Nilaveli beaches. These pristine stretches of sand offer a relaxed atmosphere and are perfect for beachcombing and sunset strolls.

Trincomalee is undoubtedly a destination of diverse wonders. While its beaches are breathtaking, exploring the ancient temples, engaging with the local culture, and encountering marine life through snorkeling and whale watching add layers of charm to your journey. By experiencing the top attractions beyond the beaches, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted beauty and allure of this captivating Sri Lankan coastal town. So, pack your bags and embark on a memorable adventure to Trinco Blu By Cinnamon today!

The perfect beach awaits you in Sri Lanka. Whether you like broad strands of sand to jog along at the sea’s edge, soaring waves to surf as they splash on the shore, intimate coves for private sunbathing, or beaches lined with seafood cafés and bars, you’ll find the beach of your desires here.

Negombo (30km from Colombo) has the closest beach to the airport, a mere 5km distance. It is lined by the first hotels to open in Sri Lanka and is a cross between two popular beaches further south, being livelier than Bentota but not as laidback as Hikkaduwa. Tourists share the beach with fishermen where they park boats that later sail off with red sails into the sunset. The after-beach life is sophisticated with vibrant cocktail bars and sleek restaurants.

The closest dedicated beach strip to Colombo is at Mount Lavinia, 12km from the city centre. North of the headland, with its view of Colombo, the beach is the preserve of residents who flock there at weekends and on holidays. There are cabanas for picnics and beachside meals as well as some lively bars. The beach south of the headland is for the more genteel.

The best beaches begin at Beruwala and Bentota, roughly halfway between Colombo and the southern tip of Galle. Beruwala (58km from Colombo) was known to ancient mariners as Barberyn and it has a lighthouse on an island off the shore and a flourishing dawn fish market. The beach stretch is long with shallow waves washing it in the West Coast holiday season months of October to April.

The beach at Bentota (64km from Colombo) is vast; it can take an hour to walk along it from one headland to another. This is pure beach with gloriously golden sand and welcoming seas. There’s not much to do, even in the season from October to April, and that’s how regular visitors like it.

There are palm-fringed coves with sandy strips all the way down the West Coast, one with a natural swimming pool embraced by rock is at Induruwa (68km from Colombo). For convivial beach action, head for Hikkaduwa, 97km from Colombo, with hotels and guesthouses to suit every pocket. The beach, naturally structured in coves, is popular with the young and young at heart and the action often continues into the late evening.

Acclaimed as one of the best beaches in the world many years ago, Unawatuna (125km from Colombo) has changed because of tidal flows reducing the once broad beach to a slim version of its former self. However, it is still the best beach in Sri Lanka for day and night time action where people from around the world congregate in the sun. It’s just a 10 minute ride from Galle, the closest town.

The beach at Mirissa (150km from Colombo)attracts surfers at one end, and tourists eager to head out to sea and watch for whales. There are quieter beaches further along the southern coast, close to Tangalle. Nicknamed Turtle Bay, the beach at Kalametiya, by the 214km post on the Colombo to Hambantota coastal road, awaits discovery with its long rollers, windswept dunes…and turtles.

The best time to visit the beaches on the East Coast is from April to October when the sea is calmer and the beaches broader. But with their swimming pools and gardens for relaxing, and beachside seafood restaurants, the hotels on the East Coast are enjoyable year round.

From Trincomalee (257 km northeast of Colombo) the beach stretches northwards for miles but it’s best at Uppuveli, about 5km further north. On this golden shore, fishermen toil at one end while tourists laze at the other in perfect harmony. The sea, in season, invigorates and the area has preserved its sense of isolation, creating a peaceful ambience for beachcombing.

 Some 80km down the East Coast from Trinco on the way to Batticaloa (303km from Colombo) are the newly developed beaches of Passikudah Bay and its neighbour Kalkudah Bay. They were renowned as potential beach playgrounds before a cyclone in 1978 blew the dreams away and then came 25 years of civil war, keeping the area off limits to tourists. That’s changed now with smart new hotels with glittering facilities opening up along the coast. The sea there, in season, is shallow far off-shore, so it’s delightful for swimming.

The bold and carefree flock to Arugam Bay (325 from Colombo) for laidback after-beach action following days spent in the sun surfing some tremendous waves. The sand there is not for building castles but suits the do-it-yourself community of surfers, adding to the diversity of Sri Lanka’s incredible beaches.

Trinco is the land of the rising sun, with graphic sunrises, golden beaches and an altogether slower pace of life. Coming here forces you to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. But there are other things about this harbor town, things that you ought to know if you’re planning on heading to Sri Lanka’s beautiful North East coastline.

1. The World War II Memorial Cemetery

You might miss it if you aren’t looking for it, but somewhere between Trinco town and Nilaveli beach sits this magnificent green lawn, strewn with gravestones of many brave men, of different nationalities who fought and fell in the Second World War. Falling under the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this place in Trincomalee is one of 11 burial grounds strewn across the island and each with a similarity in terms of landscaping, headstone structure, layout and a significant cross that looms over each cemetery, known as the Cross of Sacrifice.

2. Sperm Whales & Spinner Dolphins

Scuba diving adventures and boat trips are a must when you’re in Trincomalee. Why? Because since of late, Trinco’s deep blue becomes the migratory home of one of the biggest pods of sperm whales in the world. Add to that the spectacular marine life including spinner dolphins and a vibrant shore reef and the world underwater might seem even better than the breathtaking sunrise.

3. Spotted Deer at Fort Fredrick

Trincomalee is home to the age old Fort Fredrick; built by the Portugese, reconstructed by the Dutch, claimed by the British and currently occupied by the Sri Lankan military – and a small herd of spotted deer! It is said that a couple of spotted deer were shipped here by the British as pets for their militia stationed here. Since the fort is opened to the public however, the incorrect disposal of waste and feeding the deer have caused the herd to get sick. If you are visiting the Fort, remember not to feed the animals and merely observe them from a distance.

4. Early Chinese Settlers

Something that’s not often known about Trinco is that it was once home to Chinese settlers brought here by the Dutch and Portugese during their colonial rule of the region. They were brought via the Trincomalee harbor into the island on the pretext of working on cinnamon plantations here. China Bay that sits a short drive away from Trincomalee town is thus named for those who stayed with the island long after the colonials left, having been away for too many generation with nowhere else but Ceylon to call home. Walk through the narrow streets of Trinco town and you just might find a family run Chinese restaurant serving the most authentic Chinese food in the region.

5. Multi-Ethnic Community

The many comings and goings, and the original settlements here combine to make Trincomalee a cornucopia of ethnic delights. Despite hundreds of years of occupation and a 30 year war, Trinco’s many faiths and cultures thrive here. On some days the church bells, temple chants, the Islamic call to prayer and kovil sounds emanate simultaneously in a glorious spiritual cacophony that could rival most other countries in the world. Trinco is a shining example of how people from different walks of life can live in harmony.

Photo Credits: Wikiepedia, Lucy Calder

Those enjoying their days in the sun could be oblivious to the exposition happening just a couple of miles away towards the center of the ocean. The cerulean waters that lure in the adventure-driven surfers and the laid-back tourists, also hide a giant secret within its ripples and dunes; only the largest creature to ever exist.

Anywhere else in the world, these 40 feet long Blue Whales stay hidden deep within the waters, away from their predators, feasting on shrill. But here on the eastern coast of a tiny teardrop-shaped island, these gentle giants take leaps of faith, plunging out of the waters putting on a show to locals and travellers who’ve voyaged to see them dance.

Buddhika Dayaratne, also known as Daya, is an environmentalist working with Cinnamon Nature Trails (CNT). As a whale watching expert, Daya has spent years to accumulate a sea of knowledge on these giant mammals. Along the way, he’s had the opportunity to draw inspiration and expertise from the likes of famous Marine Biologist Dr Charles Anderson. His mastery on the topic has awarded him with many golden opportunities; one of which, being featured on BBC’s Blue Planet II program to share his experience with whales, the importance of conservation and his passion to study these gentle giants.

Daya first observed these cetaceans swimming through our waters in 2010. Despite a handful of Blue Whale sightings, the conflict in the north and eastern parts of the island restricted any commercial whale watching operations. Post-war, the CNT Team headed out deep into the Indian Ocean in search of Blue Whales; they were blessed with not just several blue whale spotting, but also a larger number of sperm whales!

Here at the coastal enclave of Trincomalee, the discovery of Whale Watching has brought forth many opportunities for the local community but has also heightened concerns for life below water. Daya understands the responsibility he carries on his shoulders as a learned and experienced environmentalist. “Whales are acoustic animals”. Even the biggest creature to ever swim in our waters is sensitive to the roaring motors of the local fishermen. The two-stroke engines of the motorboats commonly used locally for whale watching frighten and alarm the whales to hide deep within their oceanic habitat.

Against such a backdrop, Daya can’t emphasize the importance of imposing regulations to protect these mammals from harm in their habitat any better. Cinnamon Nature Trails’ 4-stroke engines sail silently against the waves conscious to be sensitive to the marine mammals in their own home while also giving you front row seats to an oceanic masquerade starring our very own Blue Whales. With thoughtfully curated experiences, the Cinnamon Nature Trails team has made meaningful investments to practice conscious and responsible whale watching excursions.

Trinco Blu by Cinnamon, based right along the coastal strip of Uppuvelli, will host you for a picturesque and a memorable holiday with fun in the sun. Here, you will fight the urge to sleep in, waking up with the sun to claim your best seats to the Whale dances at the crack of dawn. Once in the waters, settle in and let these gentle giants take your breath away with each plunge before swimming along the boat beside you.

Experience the best of Sri Lankan hospitality paired with the endless charm of natural artistry, here at Trinco Blu by Cinnamon. Bask in the goodness of the coastal sun as the soft tunes of the Indian Ocean serenade you. Listen to the legends of the region and bear witness to the greatness that hides within our corner in Trincomalee. Discover a different kind of beauty in this historic North-eastern coastal enclave of Sri Lanka.

Let’s first get the curiosity of the name out of the way. Yes, the island did derive its name because of a pigeon population residing happily there. These pigeons are similar to the feral pigeon and are called rock pigeons; it is a rocky island after all.

In addition to being the home to these wild bird Pigeon Island is also a marine national park. It is best known for diving (Ahoy all you snorkelers out there!) and is not far from the shore of Trincomalee, with only a 20 minute journey from Chaaya Blu Trincomalee.

It also has a healthy coral reef. A word of importance through, if you are going on a snorkelling or scuba diving expedition DO NOT stand on the coral reef since it will destroy them. The island also has a healthy marine population with marine eels and fish of vibrant colours.

Here’s 4 interesting facts about Pigeon Islands that you should know!

1. Pigeon Islands is one of two only marine national parks in Sri Lanka which contains some of the best coral reefs in the island. The other is in Hikkaduwa on the Southern Coastal belt.

2. It was used as a shooting range during the colonial era

3. It is home to over 100 species of corals and 300 types of coral reef fishes

4. The Black Tip Reef Shark is popular siting around the island’s rich marine life along with the many colourful coral fish species and turtles around.

Important Information:

• Opening Hours – 7am – 5.30pm
• Entrance Fees – $15 Approximately

• Cinnamon Nature Trails offers an accompanying naturalist, snorkelling gear and boat ride from Chaaya Blu Trincomalee for $40 per person (2-3pax) and $30 per person (4-5pax).
  *This excludes entrance fees mentioned above.