Jaffna and the North, the back story

About Jaffna and the North, the back story

By the ULTIMATE Sri Lanka Editorial Team

Site Editor: Tara de la Motte

Jaffna, at the northern tip of the island, has its own language, faith, food and architecture: it is the cultural capital of the Sri Lankan Tamils, with great Hindu temples, palmyra palms, lagoons and islands. The civil war ended in 2009; the north has since reopened to travellers and rebuilt, and Lonely Planet named Jaffna second in its Best in Travel 2026 list of destinations.

A different Sri Lanka

The Jaffna peninsula is flat and dry, shaped by lagoons, palmyra palms and red earth. Most people are Tamil and Hindu, with Catholic and other communities too, and the city has its own customs, music and food. It is far less visited than the south, which is part of its appeal.

Temples and festivals

Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, dedicated to Murugan, is the great temple of the north. Its annual festival, usually in July and August, lasts more than three weeks and draws huge crowds, with chariot processions on the main days. Men remove their shirts to enter; everyone removes shoes.

Jaffna feels like a different country within the island: Tamil signs, temple bells, bicycles and the smell of roasting spices.

The fort and the library

Jaffna Fort, begun by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch as a star-shaped fortress, stands by the lagoon and has been restored. The Jaffna Public Library, a white building in the city centre, was badly damaged by fire in 1981 and rebuilt; it reopened in the early 2000s and is a source of local pride.

Jaffna food

Jaffna cooking is famous across Sri Lanka: Jaffna crab curry, rich with roasted spices; odiyal kool, a seafood soup thickened with palmyra flour; mutton curries, thosai and string hoppers; and palmyra sweets. In the north, look for the Ammachchi food centres, where local women cook traditional dishes.

The islands

West of the peninsula, causeways and ferries link a string of islands. Nainativu has an important Hindu temple and a Buddhist shrine, both pilgrimage sites. Delft, further out, is known for its wild ponies, its walls of coral stone, a giant baobab tree and the ruins of a Dutch fort. Ferries leave from Kurikadduwan jetty on Punkudutivu; times depend on the weather and the season, so check locally.

Getting there

The Yal Devi train links Colombo Fort with Jaffna and Kankesanthurai. It resumed service in May 2026 and was reported in mid-2026 to be running on alternate days, so check the current timetable with Sri Lanka Railways and reserve a seat online. By road, the A9 runs north from Kandy and Dambulla through Vavuniya to Jaffna. Jaffna International Airport at Palaly has a small number of flights: check with the airlines.

Travelling safely

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises travellers in the north to take mine-warning signs seriously and to follow local instructions, because mine clearance continues in some areas. Stay on roads and marked paths, carry your passport, follow local signs, and check the latest official travel advice before you go.

Our advice: give Jaffna at least two nights, time a visit for the Nallur festival if you can, eat crab curry and odiyal kool, and take a day for the islands, leaving early to catch the ferry.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Jaffna and the North, the back story before you go.