Pigeon Island National Park is Sri Lanka's only marine national park. It was declared a protected area in 1963 in order to protect the habitat for the endangered blue rock pigeons for which the island was named. It was made into a national park in 2003, however the pigeons no longer lived on the island by this time. It is thought that they left the area due to bombings and other disturbances in the area during the Sri Lankan Civil War. It makes a teriffic day trip from Nilaveli or Trincomalee.

Come Mar-Sep (East Coast high season)

There is no shortage of private boat operators to take you there and back.

Busy with domestic tourists on weekends.

The Sri Lankan government imposes hefty US$ fees on foreigners to visit national parks, in order to earn some foreign currency. As of mid-2025 foreigners pay the excessive fee of US$48.

Tourists damaging corals is a big problem. As a result of this, pieces of broken coral litter the beaches so bring reef shoes to prevent coral cuts! There are no medical facilities on the island.

No shops or toilets on the island. There are rubbish and recycling bins but please try to bring your rubbish home with you. Go to the bathroom before visiting the island.

Why go? Beautiful beaches for swimming, scuba diving and snorkelling. Turtles and black-tip reef sharks are common. Ropes secured to buoys demarcate the swimming/snorkelling areas from the protected areas, so do not cross them. There are some short trails leading to viewpoints around the island for some easy hiking.

Pigeon Island Boat Service (Nilaveli Beach) runs boats to/from the island during high season, costing Rs. 8000 in 2025. This is much less than the rate you will be quoted by your hotel or other travel agencies.

Traveller reports from mid-2025 indicate 90% of the coral surrounding the island is dead. Whether this is due to climate change or the impacts of tourism is not yet known.

You cannot sleep on the island nor buy anything there, so bring everything with you and organise umbrellas or snorkelling gear on the mainland.

Travellers suggest a free alternative to Pigeon Island is a day trip to Coral Island, further north.