Why Trincomalee will steal your heart
On the north-east coast, Trincomalee wraps around one of the finest natural harbours in the world. For centuries, traders and navies have prized it, and today it's a laid-back town with a dramatic history, a sacred temple and some of Sri Lanka's most beautiful beaches.
The Koneswaram Temple sits high on Swami Rock, a cliff rising straight out of the ocean. It's an ancient and sacred Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple was destroyed by the Portuguese in the 17th century and rebuilt in the 20th, and today it's colourful, lively and full of devotion. From the clifftop, the views over the ocean are breathtaking, and you may spot dolphins or even whales below.
On the way to the temple, you pass through Fort Frederick, built by the Portuguese and later taken over by the Dutch and the British. Spotted deer wander freely around the old fort.
Trincomalee's beaches are wonderful. Marble Beach, south of town, has glassy, calm turquoise water, and Uppuveli and Nilaveli, to the north, have long stretches of soft sand. Offshore, boat trips go in search of dolphins and, in season, whales.
The best time to visit the east coast is from around May to September, when the south-west monsoon brings rain to the west and south, and the east is sunny and dry. That makes Trincomalee ideal for summer holidays.
