One of the finest natural harbours in Asia, with the clifftop Koneswaram Temple rising above it and some of Sri Lanka’s finest and least-crowded beaches at Nilaveli and Uppuveli just north of the city. Pigeon Island Marine National Park is a short boat ride from Nilaveli Beach, offering blacktip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, and vibrant coral in some of the clearest water on the island.