Nilaveli, about 15 kilometres north of Trincomalee, is quieter and more beautiful than Uppuveli — a long stretch of pale sand with fewer guesthouses and less development. The water is calm and very clear for most of the year, and the beach is backed by coconut palms and casuarina trees. In the early morning, before the sun gets high, it is close to paradise.
Pigeon Island lies about a kilometre offshore from Nilaveli and is one of Sri Lanka's two marine national parks. Snorkelling around the island's coral reefs gives you blacktip reef sharks, colourful reef fish, and (if conditions are right) clear visibility to 15 metres. Boat trips to Pigeon Island run from the Nilaveli beach and take about 15 minutes. The island has two beaches and the coral around the northern one is in particularly good condition.