Trincomalee

Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

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Trincomalee, also called Trinco, is a historic port city on Sri Lanka's northeastern coast, situated on a peninsula in Trincomalee Bay (formerly Koddiyar Bay), which is one of the world's finest natural harbors renowned for its large size and security, being accessible to all types of craft in all weather conditions.

The city, located about 110 miles northeast of Kandy, is famous for its deep natural harbor, golden beaches perfect for surfing, scuba diving, fishing, and whale watching, and the sacred Koneswaram Temple (Temple of a Thousand Columns), one of Sri Lanka's oldest Hindu temples dating to the 7th century or earlier that overlooks the sea. Trincomalee features the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka, was occupied by Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British colonizers throughout history, and now serves as home to major Sri Lankan naval and Air Force bases.

The city is a culturally diverse destination with both Hindu and Buddhist sites of historical importance, has good road and rail connections to the rest of Sri Lanka, serves as a gateway to nearby beaches like Uppuveli and Nilaveli, and has become an important tourism destination despite suffering widespread destruction from the 2004 tsunami that killed hundreds there.