Why Uppuveli Beach is Worth Your Time (And What to Skip)

For travellers looking for an off the beaten track beach getaway, there’s no better place than Uppuveli Beach on Sri Lanka’s northeast coast.

This is a fantastic area for those looking for a low-key and authentic alternative to Sri Lanka’s busy built-up resort areas in the south. 

While there are plenty of activities to keep you occupied for a number of days, this is primarily an area to relax and soak in the local vibe.

On that note, the vibe is precisely what pulls travellers in, so don’t be surprised if you end up staying far longer than originally planned. You’ve been warned.

Uppuveli Beach Overview

First things first: let’s get ourselves oriented.

Uppuveli Beach sits within Trincomalee Bay, on the far northeast coast of Sri Lanka. It’s located about 270 km from Colombo.

Trincomalee Bay is one of the world’s greatest natural harbours and is home to multiple beautiful beaches.

Of these, the biggest are Trincomalee Beach, Uppuveli Beach and Nilaveli Beach. 

Trincomalee Bay also contains Trincomalee Town. Yeah, there’s a lot going on there.

Related: 18 Amazing Places to Visit in Trincomalee

How to Get to Uppuveli Beach

It’s relatively straightforward to get to Uppuveli Beach.

If you’re coming by public transport, first you’ll travel to Trincomalee Town. From there, you can catch a tuk-tuk to Uppuveli Beach.

How you get to Trincomalee Town will depend on where you are coming from. 

How to Get to Trincomalee By Bus

There is one central bus station in Trincomalee Town that services the entire Trincomalee Bay region (including Uppuveli).

You can catch a bus to Trincomalee from most major cities in Sri Lanka (to read more about the ins and outs of bus travel in Sri Lanka, check out our Essential Sri Lanka Travel Guide).

The following are travel times from other major areas in Sri Lanka:

How to Get to Trincomalee By Train

This is Sri Lanka, so of course you can get to Trincomalee by train.

Trincomalee’s train station is centrally located and there are two daily trains to/from Colombo Fort, which take between 8 – 10 hours.

For the overnight sleeper train, note that you should book at least a week in advance. 

If you would like to book your train tickets in advance, hop on 12GO Asia. 

How to Get to Uppuveli By Car

Hiring a car and/or private driver is a pretty common way to get around Sri Lanka (it’s what we did when my parents came to visit us).

It’s super convenient and not that expensive (at least compared to other countries).

When self-driving or hiring a driver, you can leave when you want and get to places in half the time it would take on public transport – if not even quicker!

The other bonus about hiring a car or a private driver is that you can go straight to Uppuveli Beach, rather than have to transit in Trincomalee Town first.

We used Sri Lanka Car and Driver Hire, but there are so many other choices. This private driver service is an extremely well-rated option.

If you’ll be renting a car, we recommend Discover Cars. They’re just the best!

To get a sense of travel times to Trincomalee, it’s around a 5-hour drive from Colombo. 

Read next: Duwili Ella in the Knuckles Mountain Range

When to Visit Uppuveli Beach

The best time to visit Uppuveli Beach is from April to September. This is during the region’s dry season, so you can expect pleasant weather and calm seas.

The entire east coast has the Maha monsoon from October to January.

During this time there is a lot of rain and turbulent seas and most water activities completely shut down. Not super ideal for a beach holiday!

Things to Do in Uppuveli

From beach bumming to snorkelling to exploring an old fort, there are tons of great things to do while you’re hanging out in Uppuveli.

Hang Out At The Beach

If you’re done chasing Sri Lanka’s most beautiful waterfalls and are looking for a beach to hang out on, you’ve found the right spot.

With wide beaches, warm water and gentle waves, this is a great area for beach bumming.

Whilst Uppuveli isn’t the most gorgeous beach in the world and rubbish can be a problem, it also has a great community feel to it.

It feels like being part of a big, friendly neighbourhood.

There are plenty of good restaurants and bars on the beach and evening bonfires are a regular thing. Honestly, it’s just a good time.

Head North To Pristine Nilaveli Beach

Nilaveli Beach, located just north of Uppuveli, is a stunner.

It’s the clear winner of the region’s beach beauty contest, featuring an endless stretch of powder-white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water.

It’s a great place to spend a day with a book and your bathers.

Read: 21 Amazing Places to Visit in Anuradhapura

There’s not much development or activity on Nilaveli Beach, giving it an uber-relaxed and local atmosphere.

Just be sure to bring anything you may need for the day as you won’t find much there in the way of services or supplies. 

You most likely will find some cows hanging out on the beach though! (See featured photo above).

Snorkel At Pigeon Island

Pigeon Island National Marine Park is one of the highlights of the region and a snorkel trip here is one of the most popular things to do in Uppuveli.

On a snorkelling trip to Pigeon Island, you can expect to see lots of reef sharks, amongst other marine animals.

The boat ride out to the island is also very beautiful and gives you a great perspective of the Trincomalee Bay coastline.

A visit to Pigeon Island can easily be arranged at any guesthouse in either Nilaveli Beach or Uppuveli Beach, or at one of the little dive shops set up directly on Uppuveli Beach.

Want to organise your trip in advance? We recommend this snorkelling trip to Pigeon Island.

If you’re keen on further wildlife explorations in Sri Lanka, we highly recommend a safari to Wilpattu National Park.

Scuba Dive

Being, you know, a beach, there are some opportunities for scuba diving in Uppuveli.

If you’re aiming to get your PADI certification, this scuba diving course offers great value and has glowing reviews from all past participants.

Already certified? Explore these highly rated fun dives around Uppuveli offered by Divinguru.

That said, a heads-up: scuba diving in Uppuveli can be hit-or-miss. Be sure to check the conditions before booking to avoid disappointment.

If you’re interested, it’s worth checking out—but keep your expectations realistic; it’s not the Maldives!

Explore the Highway north of Nilaveli Beach

One of the best things to do in Uppuveli is to rent a set of wheels and head north on the highway.

The entire east coast is dotted with beaches and lagoons along the remote countryside.

This area is incredibly remote and we’d be surprised if you saw any other tourists around. 

Pro tip: make sure to stop in for lunch and especially, a fresh king coconut, at any of the small roadside restaurants along the highway.

Before hitting the road, make sure you have travel insurance that covers scooter riding.

We recommend SafetyWing—trust us, we’ve used a lot of travel insurance and they really are the best. Plus, they specifically include scooter coverage, which is a big win!

Hang out at Fernandos

No visit to Uppuveli Beach would be complete without an afternoon at Fernandos Beach Bar – the most legendary place in the area.

Set up directly on the beach with chairs, hammocks and lounges, Fernandos is an ideal place for a sundowner or two.

The atmosphere is relaxed, yet lively – you could just as easily read a book for a couple of hours, or get social with new friends. There are bonfires some evenings. 

A warning: don’t try the food. 

Day trip to Marble Beach

Secret Marble Beach is exquisite and a hidden gem in the region. Trust us, you cannot miss a visit to Marble Beach if you’re in Uppuveli! 

Marble Beach is split into two areas: the public side, and the navy-owned restaurant/resort side.

You can stay on the public side of Marble Beach without ordering anything. However, to relax on the private side, you must make a purchase.

There’s not much difference in beach quality, but the private side has lounges with shade and is much more comfortable. 

Marble Beach is located about one hour from Uppuveli Beach. To get to Marble Beach, you can either hire a tuk-tuk to drive you, or a scooter to drive yourself.

Most tuk-tuk drivers will drop you off and then you call them when you’re ready to be picked up.

Since Marble Beach is on Sri Lankan navy land, you pay a nominal fee of 30 LKR to enter (even the public side)

Visit Kandaswamy Kovil

Set at the summit of a rocky outcrop, Kandaswamy Kovil is one of Sri Lanka’s 5 Hindu temples dedicated to Shiva and an ancient place of worship. 

It’s a bit of a drive (almost 2 hours from Uppuveli), but very beautiful and not a hugely popular tourist attraction, so you’ll probably have it all to yourself.

That said, if you’re short on time or energy, or are spending time in Jaffna checking out all the amazing Hindu temples there, you can give this one a miss.

Fort Frederick

Located on a narrow peninsula, Fort Frederick was initially constructed by the Portuguese in the 17th century.

Within the grounds, there are 2 temples: Koneshwaram Kovil and the Gokanna Raja Monastery.

Of the two, the Koneshwaram Kovil is more impressive, but the Monastery has an incredible view of Trincomalee Bay.  

There is now a $10 USD entry fee for the fort (for foreigners). Honestly, unless you’re a super big history buff, it’s probably not worth that.

If you do go, stop in at one of the many small restaurants around Fort Frederick for lunch or a fresh juice.  

Whale and dolphin watching

Sri Lanka is blessed with marine life and migrating whales are found on the east coast from May to August.

There are 3 types of whales commonly spotted in Trincomalee Bay: sperm whales, Bryde’s whales and the monster of them all, the blue whale. You can also commonly see dolphins as well. 

Whale-watching tours can be organised in Uppuveli Beach, or if you’d like, you can organise a whale-watching trip in advance online.

On the northeast coast, the best time for whale watching is in June and July. Whale-watching tours cost around $60 USD. 

Important: be sure to pick a responsible operator that adheres to the International Guidelines on Whale Watching.

Uppuveli Beach Tours

While we love independent travel, we understand not everyone has the time to plan out all the things to do in Uppuveli.

If organised activities are more your jam, here are some of the best tours in Uppuveli.

Where to Stay in Uppuveli Beach

Lucky for you, Uppuveli is awash with great accommodation choices for all budgets.

In our time in Uppuveli, we stayed in no less than 3 different places. (Don’t ask us why).

Here we’ve listed our top picks for each category, but if you want to go deeper, check out our article on where to stay in Trincomalee.

Budget

The White House

The White House is a relaxed guesthouse just 300 metres from the beach.

With clean, comfortable rooms, and a cosy outdoor space featuring picnic areas and an outdoor fireplace, it feels like a home away from home and a peaceful retreat.

Tony, the owner and heart of the guesthouse, is an incredibly welcoming host and the guesthouse’s best asset.

Lobster Inn

A long-time favourite among backpackers at Uppuveli Beach, this spot is ideal if you’re after a hostel-style communal vibe.

The rooms are spacious but extremely basic, with air conditioning available in the more premium options.

There’s a shared kitchen and a nice grassy area with a few hammocks to relax in.

Mid-range

Anantamaa Hotel

A lovely mid-range option. The rooms are lovely and very comfortable, if a bit dated.

You can’t beat the refreshing pool set in a serene garden, beachfront location and friendly staff. 

You’re best getting your meals elsewhere.

High-end

Amaranthe Bay Resort and Spa

Amaranthe Bay, located at the north end of Uppuveli Beach, is easily one of the top hotels in Uppuveli Beach.

This 5-star retreat boasts a relaxing outdoor pool and a luxurious spa.

It also offers bicycle and tuk-tuk rentals so you can explore the northern coast (highly recommended) .

Where to Eat in Uppuveli Beach

Rice n Curry

A big favourite on Uppuveli Beach, Rice n Curry is a happening spot.

The food is incredible, the portions are massive and you can’t beat the prices. If you’re into techno, you’ll also like the music. 

Cafe on the 18th 

The closest thing to a hipster cafe you’ll find in the area, Cafe on the 18th serves amazing coffee and mocktails.

The sushi is just okay and probably not worth the high prices. 

Queen Bee 

Queen Bee had just freshly opened when we were there and we instantly fell in love with it.

They serve up some of the best prawns you’ll ever have and all of their dishes are great.

The friendly owner is super keen to please and great to chat with. 

Eastern Lanka Seafood Restaurant 

Eastern Lanka Seafood is a great little family restaurant located on the main highway.

It’s a bit further from the beach, but the food and prices are well worth the walk. 

How to Get Around Uppuveli

It’s pretty easy to get around Uppuveli and the broader Trincomalee Bay area.

Everything on Uppuveli Beach is within walking distance, and it’s very easy to get tuk-tuks to shuttle you to other local destinations.

You can also arrange for a tuk-tuk to take you to any of the nearby attractions, such as Marble Beach or Fort Frederick. 

Our recommendation? Hire a scooter!

Almost every guesthouse in town will be able to assist with scooter and/or bicycle hire.

This way, you can explore at your own pace. It’s so much fun! (Again, remember the travel insurance).

Is Uppuveli Beach Worth Visiting?

We’ll be honest: when we first arrived at Uppuveli Beach, we weren’t that impressed.

The beach is just okay and, arriving just after COVID, things hadn’t yet picked up to full steam.

But its pleasant neighbourhood vibe really grew on us and we found ourselves loving just hanging out and exploring this quiet part of the country.

All of a sudden, 7 nights had passed by and here we are now, selling its unique charm to the rest of the world.

So to answer the question: yes, Uppuveli Beach is absolutely worth visiting!

Where to go after Uppuveli?

From Uppuveli, you have some great options to continue your Sri Lanka adventure. 

Short on time but want to see the highlights? Check out this excellent 10-Day Tour of Sri Lanka, recommended by 100% of past travellers!