How to get a boat to Nilaveli beach?

Nilaveli Beach itself is reachable by land, but to get to the well-known Pigeon Island National Park just beyond the shore, you have to arrange a motorised fibreglass boat right from the Nilaveli beachfront. The local boat operators’ cooperative takes care of consistent pricing for the little 10-minute sea passage.

Make sure your agreed boat fare explicitly covers the national park entry fee and also the basic snorkelling gear. The calmest, safest water conditions for these brief transfers are usually found along the East Coast between May and September.