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Trincomalee
Trincomalee (; , ; , ), also known historically as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast of the island overlooking the Trincomalee Harbour, Trincomalee has been one of the main centres of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking culture on the island for nearly a millennium. With a population of 99,135, the city is built on a peninsula of the same name, which divides its inner and outer harbours. It is home to the famous Koneswaram temple from where it developed and earned its hi
AI overview
Trincomalee is a major port city on the east coast of Sri Lanka that serves as the administrative center of its district and has been an important center of Tamil culture for nearly a thousand years. The city, built on a peninsula that creates two distinct harbors, is home to the historic Koneswaram temple and functions as a significant resort destination with a population of about 99,000 residents.
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Place details
- Locality
- Trincomalee
- Region
- Eastern Province
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Population
- 108,420
Travel guide
Understand
thumb|Back Bay as seen from Fort Frederick Trincomalee, once known as Gokarna, has been a key center of Tamil culture for centuries. The Koneswaram Temple, dating back to at least the 7th century, is a major landmark. Thanks to its natural harbour, traders from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia have been stopping by for generations.
Trincomalee is situated on the 5th largest natural deepwater harbour in the world, for which it was fought over as a strategic naval base. When the Portuguese invaded in the 17th century, they destroyed the Koneswaram Temple and used its materials to build a fort. Over the years, the city changed hands between Dutch, French, and British forces, with the latter taking control in 1795. During World War II, Trincomalee was bombed by the Japanese in 1942 because of its naval importance.
After Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948, the British held onto the harbor until 1957. The city was the site of heavy fighting during the Sri Lankan Civil War. In December 2004, Trincomalee suffered further damage when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit, and hundreds of lives were lost.
This area is best visited during the dry season: April - September.
Get around
Trincomalee itself is a very compact town, so you can get around on foot. For longer trips, for example to Uppuveli, rickshaws are available at nearly every corner. Negotiate your fare before boarding if there is no meter — a rule of thumb is around Rs 100 per km. For Nilaveli, tuktuk drivers will want a flat price per person. The PickMe app works very well for booking tuk-tuks locally, and you can use the app to get an idea of how much a trip should cost to help your bargaining with tuktuk drivers.
Several places in Uppuveli rent bicycles for around Rs 1000 per day which is a nice way to explore. thumb|Spotted deer roam Fort Fredrick
See
Pigeon Island. Sri Lanka's only marine national park has great beaches for swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling. Turtles and black-tip reef sharks can be seen but the majority of the island's coral reef has been killed as of 2025. thumb | Uppuveli Beach, with Konesar Malai in the background
Sleep
The two main regions where guesthouses can be found are along the beach at Uppaveli and beyond, and south of Fort Frederick on the beach. Shop around as prices vary greatly.
~40 min read
Article
26 sectionsContents
- Names and etymology
- Trincomalee
- Gokarna Bay, Trincomalee
- Kailaas of the South
- History
- Earliest history
- Middle Ages
- Early modern
- Late modern and contemporary
- Post independence
- Historical sites
- Hindu historical sites
- The Dutch Fort
- Harbour
- Oil depot
- Beaches
- Hot springs
- Climate
- Transport and communications
- Road and rail
- Broadcasting
- Education
- List of schools in Trincomalee city
- See also
- References
- External links
Trincomalee (; , ; , ), also known historically as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast of the island overlooking the Trincomalee Harbour, Trincomalee has been one of the main centres of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking culture on the island for nearly a millennium. With a population of 99,135, the city is built on a peninsula of the same name, which divides its inner and outer harbours. It is home to the famous Koneswaram temple from where it developed and earned its historic Tamil name Thirukonamalai. The town is home to other historical monuments such as the Bhadrakali Amman Temple, Trincomalee, the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall and, opened in 1897, the Trincomalee Hindu College. Trincomalee is also the site of the Trincomalee railway station and an ancient ferry service to Jaffna and the south side of the harbour at Muttur.
Trincomalee was made into a fortified port town following the Portuguese conquest of the Jaffna kingdom, changing hands between the Danish in 1620, the Dutch, the French following a battle of the American Revolutionary War and the British in 1795, being absorbed into the British Ceylon state in 1815. The city's architecture shows some of the best examples of interaction between native and European styles. Attacked by the Japanese as part of the Indian Ocean raid during World War II in 1942, the city and district were affected after Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, when the political relationship between Tamil and Sinhalese people deteriorated, erupting into civil war. It is home to major naval and air force bases at the Trincomalee Garrison. The city also has the largest Dutch fort on the island.
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On the map
5 mapped locations