Trincomalee is a port city on the east coast. This natural port is the fifth largest in the world. Through the centuries there have been many battles for this port. In 2004 this port city and its surroundings were severely hit by the tsunami.
On the Swami Rock lies the Koneswaramtemple. This is located in the Fort Frederick (17th century). The temple is one of the largest and most important Hindu temples of Sri Lanka and is located on the same spot where the largest Hindu temple (3rd century BC) once stood. This was the temple of the 1000 columns but in 1624 it was destroyed by the Portuguese. In the sea under the rock there are still holy statues from that time. The rock crevice is also called Lover’s Leap because in 1687 the daughter of a Dutch officer jumped into the sea here. The fort itself is for the most part a military base.
Just north of the city you will find the beautiful and unspoiled beaches. Here you can have a lovely swim. There are both small simple hotels and larger ones but the big beaches are apart from a few fishermen still very empty. From here you can take a boat to Pigeon Island. Here you can snorkel beautifully above the coral and sometimes sharks and turtles can be seen.
From about March to the end of September you can also book whale watching excursions here.
The Kanniyai Hot Spring is located near Trincomalee. There are several stories about the origin of these hot ritual springs. But Sri Lankans still throw buckets of holy and healing water over their heads here. The temperatures in the different baths range from 29 C to 46 C.

What to see and do:
temple, fort, city, beach snorkeling, whale watching

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