Nilaveli Beach
East Coast · Trincomalee · nearest town Nilaveli
Region
EastDistrict
TrincomaleeNearest town
NilaveliWater
Calm & clearCrowds
quiet, relaxed, natureWheelchair
Nilaveli Road ~16 km north of Trincomalee town; tuk-tuk, bus or hotel transfer.About Nilaveli
Nilaveli is the east coast at its best — a wide, uncrowded beach of fine white sand and calm, clear water. The highlight is Pigeon Island, a tiny marine sanctuary just offshore with world-class snorkeling over coral gardens.
- ✓Boat trips to Pigeon Island (snorkeling)
- ✓Wide, uncrowded white-sand beach
- ✓Calm, clear water in season
- ✓Quiet beach bungalows & resorts
- ✓Dolphin sightings in the bay
Best time to visit
May–Sep (dry season for this coast)
| Month | Avg high | Rain days | Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | ~28°C | 8–12 | Transitional |
| Apr | ~30°C | 10–14 | Building rain |
| Jul | ~32°C | 2–4 | Excellent |
| Oct | ~30°C | 14–18 | Rough / rainy |
Weather
Powered by WeatherAPI.com · marine data by Open-Meteo · updated daily
30.2
°
Feels like 34.9°
Overcast
Wind 12 km/h WSW (gusts 18) · Humidity 67% · UV 8.6
☀ Sunrise 05:52 AM · Sunset 05:47 PM
Next hours
11 AM
31°
Overcast
12 PM
32°
Cloudy
1 PM
32°
Patchy rain nearby
2 PM
31°
Light rain
3 PM
30°
Patchy rain nearby
4 PM
30°
Light rain shower
5 PM
29°
Light rain shower
6 PM
28°
Light rain shower
Next 7 days
Mon
28°
Overcast
86%
Tue
28°
Overcast
83%
Wed
28°
Overcast
86%
Wave height: 0.2 m
Sea temp: 30.4°C
Swell: 0.2 m SE
Forecasts are model-based; use the climate guidance above for season planning.
Surf conditions
FairSwell
0.2 m SESwell period
7sWind waves
0 m WSea temp
30.4°CWind
Offshore
Tide
Rising
Wind blowing out to sea — holds waves up, cleaner faces
Next 7 days — surf forecast
Mon
0.2m
7s
SE
Tue
0.2m
7s
SE
Wed
0.2m
7s
SE
Thu
0.2m
8s
SE
Fri
0.3m
7s
NE
Sat
0.3m
6s
NE
Sun
0.2m
7s
E
Tide is an approximate rise/fall read (model sea-level, not tide-table times). Surf rating is a general swell/wind read, not break-specific.
Nearby
Restaurants, hotels and more populate automatically from OpenStreetMap.
hotel
Nilaveli Beach Hotel
2,132 m
hotel
H & U
2,146 m
hotel
Shahira Hotel
912 m
hotel
Anilana Nilaveli
2,271 m
hotel
Seaway Hotel
906 m
hotel
Nilaveli Beach Resort
4,714 m
hotel
Hotel White Sand Beach
1,349 m
restaurant
Cafe Nilaveli
577 m
Cuisine: regional
hotel
Nilaveli Palm House
4,026 m
hotel
Bliss Bay Nilaveli
3,517 m
hotel
Coral Bay Hotel
1,492 m
hotel
The Coastal
1,323 m
hotel
Nilaveli Beach Hotel
1,318 m
hotel
Palm Beach Nilaveli
1,237 m
hotel
32 Celcius Nilaveli
1,177 m
hotel
The Residence Nilaveli
790 m
hotel
Mitty's Round House
595 m
hotel
Cardamon
1,053 m
hotel
Sea Zone Hotel
758 m
hotel
Palmera Eco Resort Nilaveli
1,370 m
hotel
Pigeon Island Beach Resort
2,880 m
hotel
Nagenahira Beach Villas
3,000 m
hotel
Sea view hotel
788 m
restaurant
Family Restaurant
742 m
Mo-Su 09:00-22:00
cafe
Shajana rest and hotel
981 m
restaurant
Shajana rest and hotel
974 m
hotel
Gopalapuram guest house
824 m
hotel
Thirumalai Park
407 m
hotel
SanaPlace
337 m
hotel
Vibushan Guesthouse
424 m
restaurant
Nilaa
480 m
Cuisine: regional;breakfast;grill;seafood;asian;local;curry · Mo-Su 08:30-22:00
hotel
Rainbow guest house
769 m
hotel
Pearl Inn Green
997 m
restaurant
King Coconut Café
411 m
Cuisine: regional
restaurant
Pacific Seafood Restaurant
1,860 m
Cuisine: seafood
restaurant
Seafood Restaurant
705 m
Cuisine: asian;seafood
hotel
Mithra
1,975 m
restaurant
Nila Rice & Curry
1,259 m
Cuisine: curry;local · Mo-Su 08:30-22:00
hotel
Brindhavan Cottage
1,570 m
hotel
Nilaveli Homestay
674 m
24/7
hotel
Gopalapuram
828 m
hotel
Nilaveli Guest Home
661 m
hotel
Sai SeaShell
678 m
restaurant
Memos Cafe & Restaurant
1,019 m
hotel
Theepan’s Home
591 m
restaurant
Spicy Way Restaurant
1,889 m
Cuisine: local
restaurant
Red Lobster
712 m
Cuisine: seafood · Mo-Su 09:00-22:00
restaurant
King Sea Food Restaurant
561 m
Cuisine: local
restaurant
Nilaveli Moon Restaurant
859 m
Cuisine: local
restaurant
R.T.Choice
403 m
Cuisine: local
cafe
Nilaveli Village Restaurant & Bar
941 m
hotel
NN Beach Resort & Spa
2,499 m
hotel
Nilaveli Bella
2,516 m
hotel
Sand Life Beach Hotel
2,997 m
hotel
Vitamin Sea
2,158 m
restaurant
The Beach Lovers Nilaveli
2,178 m
restaurant
The Salty Dog
2,201 m
restaurant
The Rice & Curry Seafood Nilaveli
609 m
Cuisine: asian;seafood · Mo-Su 07:00-22:00
attraction
Pigeon Island Tours
615 m
hotel
Luxsume Guest House Nilaveli
556 m
24/7
restaurant
Kowri Family Restaurant
619 m
Cuisine: asian;indian;pasta
hospital
Divisional
783 m
restaurant
Dark Waves
1,267 m
Mo-Su 09:30-21:30
hotel
Dark Waves
1,271 m
hotel
Dream
213 m
hotel
Oga
1,286 m
restaurant
Sana place
301 m
hotel
Coco Lagoon
513 m
restaurant
Tiki Bar
2,064 m
Cuisine: seafood
hotel
Divers Land Shoy's Place
1,659 m
cafe
Blue Bird
1,233 m
hotel
Jey's Place and Restaurant
319 m
viewpoint
Lagoon
819 m
restaurant
Vino Lanka Rice and Curry Restaurant
373 m
Cuisine: indian · Mo-Su 07:00-22:00
restaurant
KKR Restaurant
470 m
Cuisine: asian;seafood;regional;breakfast
restaurant
King Seafood Restaurant
508 m
Cuisine: breakfast;regional;seafood;asian
restaurant
Moon Isle
953 m
restaurant
Vibration
952 m
hotel
Amigos Inn
3,112 m
hotel
Secret Escape Nilaveli
1,956 m
hotel
That's Why
3,056 m
hotel
Girls Hostel Block E
3,896 m
restaurant
Beachfront Restaurant
2,466 m
Cuisine: seafood;curry;barbecue;fries
restaurant
Anukama
2,667 m
hotel
Anukama Resort
2,638 m
Reviews
★ 5 (1)
Scenery4.5
Water4.7
Cleanliness4.4
Facilities4
Crowds4.5
📌 Editor review
★ 5
Nilaveli is the east coast's most beautiful beach — far enough from Trincomalee to feel remote, with Pigeon Island as the perfect day trip. Come in the dry season (May–Sep) for glassy water.
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Travel tips
▲15▼
Pigeon Island · 1 month ago
Go early (before 9am) to snorkel in calm water before the day-trip boats arrive.
▲10▼
Go to Pigeon Island in the morning · 1 month ago
The water is calmest and visibility best around 9 am to noon; ask the boatman honestly about conditions before paying.
▲10▼
Bring your own snorkel gear · 1 month ago
Rental is available, but a well-fitting mask and fins let you snorkel on your own schedule and are more hygienic.
▲10▼
Book a turtle night walk · 1 month ago
Guided night walks to see nesting or hatching turtles operate in season along these beaches - arrange through a guesthouse or local operator.
▲10▼
Stay on the northern stretch · 1 month ago
The area just north of the main beach holds most of the guesthouses and places to eat, within easy reach of the sand.
▲8▼
Getting there · 1 month ago
About 260 km from Colombo (6 hours) or via Trincomalee — 15 minutes by tuk-tuk.
▲6▼
Season note · 1 month ago
Most of the coast closes down in the wet season (Oct–Jan) — plan for May–Sep.
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FAQ
Boats leave from the beach throughout the day; the crossing takes about 10 minutes.
Pigeon Island National Park lies about 1 km offshore and local boats leave frequently from the beach - a roughly 10-minute ride. Trips run best in calm weather (May-Sep) and snorkel gear can be rented on the beach.
May to September — the east coast dry season.
Yes in the dry season - the water is calm and shallow, and lifeguards have been reported on the main beach. During the northeast monsoon (Oct-Jan) the sea turns rough.
Yes, in season the bay is calm and clear — excellent for families.
At Pigeon Island: blacktip reef sharks, sea turtles, parrotfish and other reef fish. Offshore, seasonal whale- and dolphin-watching trips operate from the area.
Questions from travelers
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Can beginners snorkel at Pigeon Island?
Yes — the reef is shallow and easy; life jackets are provided on the boat trips.