A tiny islet in the bay is home to the pocket-sized Fort Hammenhiel, a small Portuguese-built bastion that passed on to the Dutch in the 1650s. The thick coral walls are over 4m high. Access to the fort is very difficult. The navy has built a tiny officers-only resort inside the walls. If you have lunch at the resort's landside restaurant, you might be able to beg a visit on one of the boats that makes the five-minute trip.
Fort Hammenhiel
Jaffna & the North
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
11.46 MILES
Long the gatehouse of the city, the vast Jaffna fort, overlooking the Jaffna lagoon, has been fought over for centuries. Today you can wander its walls,…
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12.63 MILES
This huge Hindu temple, crowned by a towering god-encrusted, golden-ochre gopuram, is one of the most significant Hindu religious complexes in Sri Lanka…
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13.23 MILES
This spring is a beautiful little spot: the men’s side has a picturesque stepped pool of bright aquamarine water set against the ocean, while the women…
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29.51 MILES
A small dirt road runs for 3.1km off the B371 to this lovely beach. There are a few fishing boats, some palm trees and not much else on the sand. The…
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13.06 MILES
The provenance of this Jaffna Kingdom relic is fairly secure. This archway is thought to be one of the palace’s original entrances. Among its weathered…
11.68 MILES
Tellingly, one of the first major buildings to be rebuilt after the 2002 ceasefire was Jaffna's Public Library. It had been burnt down by pro-government…
11.76 MILES
An architectural curiosity, the spindly Clock Tower has a Moorish domed top, which makes it look like it belongs somewhere in North Africa. It was erected…
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11.28 MILES
Some 1km via a squiggle of lanes south of the B380 is the beautiful and mysterious Kantarodai Ruins – two dozen or so dagobas, 1m to 2m in height, in a…
Nearby Jaffna & the North attractions
1.25 MILES
Kayts is a moody little village with a few scuttled fishing boats down by the ferry dock and some big old bayan trees. This was the port from which…
1.5 MILES
Built in 1820, this large colonnaded church is dishevelled, but the faithful have strung colourful garlands from the soaring rafters. Immediately west,…
4.32 MILES
An attractive stretch of sand with good swimming and, as the name indicates, a shoreline backed by mature casuarina trees. It's popular with folks from…
5.45 MILES
This temple is 1.1km north of the start of the Karaitivu causeway on the mainland. It's visible on the right as you start your crossing. There's a…
5.93 MILES
About 2km north of the AB19 along a dirt track is a sombre memorial to Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa and others. In 1992, the LTTE set…
7.3 MILES
Chaatty Beach is no white-sand wonder, but it’s passable for swimming and has changing rooms, picnic gazebos and snack vendors. It's just 11km from Jaffna.
8.1 MILES
This lovely complex is an airy Hindu temple set amid mature neem trees. The main temple deity is the naga goddess Meenakshi, a consort of Shiva. (The term…