The east coast: Trincomalee, Pasikudah and Arugam Bay

About The east coast: Trincomalee, Pasikudah and Arugam Bay

By the ULTIMATE Sri Lanka Editorial Team

The east coast has its sunny season from about April to September, during the south-west monsoon, when the west and south coasts are wet. Trincomalee in the north-east has one of the world’s great natural harbours; Arugam Bay in the south-east is the island’s best-known surf spot.

When to go

Come from about April to September. From roughly November to February, the north-east monsoon brings rain and rough seas to the east coast, and many guesthouses close.

Trincomalee

Trincomalee sits on a deep natural harbour. On Swami Rock, inside the old Fort Frederick, the Koneswaram Temple looks over the sea, one of the most revered Hindu shrines on the island. North of the town are the long beaches of Uppuveli and Nilaveli, and from Nilaveli boats go out to Pigeon Island National Park for snorkelling over coral and with reef fish. Whale and dolphin trips run from about March or April to August.

When the south coast is grey and the sea is wild, the east coast is calm, blue and almost empty.

Pasikudah

Further south, near Batticaloa, Pasikudah is a wide, shallow bay of calm water, lined with resorts. It is one of the safest places on the island for children to swim.

Arugam Bay

Arugam Bay, on the south-east coast near Pottuvil, is Sri Lanka’s best-known surf town, with a point break and several other breaks nearby. The surf season runs from about April or May to October. Away from the waves, there are lagoons, Kumana National Park and the quiet beaches south of the bay.

Getting there

Trains run from Colombo to Trincomalee and Batticaloa. By road, Trincomalee is about two hours from Habarana and Sigiriya, and Arugam Bay about three hours from Ella, so the east coast fits well at the end of a loop through the Cultural Triangle or the hills.

Our advice: plan the east coast for a trip between May and September, pair Trincomalee with the Cultural Triangle and Arugam Bay with Ella and Yala, and book ahead for the August surf season in Arugam Bay.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The east coast: Trincomalee, Pasikudah and Arugam Bay before you go.