25 min drive
Nilaveli Beach
A long, quiet stretch of sand north of Uppuveli, and the boat point for Pigeon Island.
Some photos via Wikimedia Commons: Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0; Anton 17, CC BY-SA 4.0
What to expect
Nilaveli is a long, open beach about 16 km north of Trincomalee, quieter than Uppuveli and with plenty of room to spread out.
Boats to Pigeon Island National Park leave from here for the short crossing, so it pairs well with a morning of snorkelling: swim at the island, then lunch back on the sand.