The Cultural Heart of the North
Jaffna is the capital of Sri Lanka's Northern Province and the heart of Tamil culture on the island — a city with a character entirely distinct from the rest of the country. For decades Jaffna was inaccessible to most visitors, isolated by conflict. Today it is open and welcoming, with a quiet dignity and a cultural richness that makes the journey north worthwhile. The city's food, language, religion, and architecture have been shaped over centuries by South Indian Tamil traditions, producing a place that feels unlike anything else in Sri Lanka.
Nallur Kovil — the great Shaivite temple with its golden gopuram tower — is the centrepiece of the city, drawing tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims during the August festival season. The Dutch-built Jaffna Fort, still partly occupied by the Sri Lanka Army, stands at the water's edge and is gradually opening to visitors. The Jaffna peninsula has remarkable beaches — Casuarina Beach on the north coast is one of the finest in Sri Lanka — and the causeway across to Kayts island passes through a remarkable landscape of lagoons and palmyra palms.
Nallur Kovil
The most important Hindu temple in Sri Lanka — an extraordinary structure of Dravidian architecture with an annual festival of 25 days in July/August.
Jaffna Fort
A 17th-century Dutch fort at the water's edge, one of the best-preserved in South Asia, with views over the Jaffna Lagoon.
Casuarina Beach
A long, calm beach of white sand on the northern coast of the peninsula — clear water, no crowds, and the most northerly stretch of coastline in Sri Lanka.
Jaffna Market
Sri Lanka's most distinctive market — palmyra products, dried fish, fresh palmyra toddy, and produce entirely different from the south.
Nagadeepa Island Temple
An important Buddhist pilgrimage island reached by ferry — believed to have been visited by the Buddha himself.
Best Time to Visit
May to September — the north is drier and the seas calmer. Avoid October to December when heavy rains affect the north-east.
Getting There
Approximately 8—10 hours by road from Colombo via the A9 highway; 6 hours by domestic flight (under an hour from Colombo). Usually the northernmost point on a full island circuit tour.
