Trincomalee
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Overview
Trincomalee (Trinco) sits on one of the world’s finest natural harbors. This historic city is old almost beyond reckoning: it’s possibly the site of historic Gokana in the Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle), and its Shiva temple the site of Trikuta Hill in the Hindu text Vayu Purana. It makes a great stop over on the way to the nearby beaches of Uppuveli and Nilaveli.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Trincomalee
This revered temple at the summit of a rocky outcrop is one of Sri Lanka’s pancha ishwaram, five historical Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva and…
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Trincomalee
Occupying the neck of a narrow peninsula, Fort Frederick has been a defensively important site for centuries. A fortress was initially constructed here by…
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Trincomalee
One of the holiest Buddhist monuments in Sri Lanka, founded in the 2nd century BC, but only rediscovered, and reconstructed, in the 1920s. This stupa…
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Trincomalee
About 17km south of Trinco, there's a turn-off on the left for Marble Beach (signposted just before the Kinniya bridge), a glorious cove bookended by…
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Maritime & Naval History Museum
Trincomalee
A grand 18th-century Dutch colonial building has been renovated and turned into a museum. Displays on the ground floor cover Sri Lankan naval history back…
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Trincomalee
Right in the centre of Trinco is the attractive and picturesque Dutch Bay. Swimming is possible despite sometimes dangerous undertows. However, it’s more…
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Trincomalee
Of the city's churches, the 1852 Catholic St Mary’s Cathedral is particularly attractive, with a sky-blue neo-baroque frontage and a tiled, towered rear…
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Trincomalee
Manayaweli Cove is an appealing curl of fishing beach with clean sand where you can also swim in the clear water; reach it by strolling past Manayaweli…
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