Sri Lanka is blessed with a great many beautiful beaches. In fact, the island’s pristine coastline is one of the main reasons thousands of tourists flock to the island each year. The eastern coast of Sri Lanka is particularly renowned for stunning coastal locations, and few can surpass the picturesque scenery of the aptly named Marble Beach.

Marble Beach is found along the Kinniya Road, around 11 kilometres away from Trincomalee. You’ll find it bordered by a beautiful cove that’s fringed on one side by a verdant stretch of woodlands. The beach got its name due to the crystal-clear waters that lap away at it. It is said that on a sunny day, the water’s surface can be seen shining brilliantly as though it had been fashioned out of marble.

There’s plenty to do here at Marble Beach, and snorkelling is generally at the top of the list of things to try out here. Since the water is calm and placid for almost the entire day here, you can snorkel quite far out than with other Sri Lankan beaches. You’ll find a network of fringing corals beneath the surface here – these make a perfect refuge for a colourful array of reef denizens. These range from the beautiful and brilliantly coloured parrotfish to the bizarre and unsettling moray eel. Of course, if you prefer to take things easy, you can always lounge on the hot white sands that cover the beach and get your tan on. In fact, it can be quite relaxing to while away the time with the gentle sea breeze and the odd passing freighter for company.

Getting to Marble Beach is a relatively easy affair if you’re staying at Trincomalee. All you have to do is go past China Bay and pass Cloppenburg and you’ll reach the coast in no time.