Trincomalee harbour, situated in the East coast of the Island is one of the best natural harbours in the world and has a long history, having been held by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British. Set on a peninsula, Fort Frederick was built by the Portuguese in the 17th century.
Bay of Trincomalee's harbour is renowned for its large size and security; unlike every other in the Indian Sea, it is accessible to all types of craft in all weathers. The beaches are used for surfing, scuba diving, fishing and whale watching. The city also has the largest Dutch fort in Sri Lanka and due to its strategic location is home to major Sri Lankan naval bases and a Sri Lankan Air Force base.
Trincomalee has some of the most picturesque and scenic beaches found in Sri Lanka. The area is famous for bathing and swimming, owing to the relative shallowness of the sea, allowing one to walk out over a hundred meters into the sea without the water reaching chest level. Whale watching is a common pastime in the seas off Trincomalee.
The town itself possesses an understated but distinct charm all of its own, with an interesting old fort and sleepy backstreets lined with pretty colonial villas dotted with mosques, churches and dozens of colourful little Hindu temples.
