Nilaveli is widely considered one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful beaches, a long, broad, empty stretch of white sand on the east coast just north of Trincomalee, lapped by calm, glass-clear water of clarity. The beach faces Pigeon Island National Park, a protected marine reserve teeming with reef fish, hawksbill turtles, and blacktip reef sharks, one of the best snorkelling destinations in the country.