Things to see and do North

A Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Naga Pooshani Amman (Naga Meenakshi). Naga means 'snake' or 'cobra', but also refers to the original inhabitants of the island, worshippers of the snake god, who populated the west and north of Sri Lanka between the 6th century BC and the 3rd century. Legend has it that the building was built by a merchant who received a vision of the goddess while crossing the sea and that when the Portuguese demolished it in the 16th century, the statue of the goddess was hidden in a nearby tree. The temple was rebuilt in 1788.

A must in Jaffna, the central market offers an incomparable choice of scents and colours. This is where the heart of the city beats! Many stalls and merchants offer fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers, sweets, handicrafts, clothes and utensils of all kinds. And, of course, you can taste some local specialities on the spot. Don't hesitate to deepen your visit by strolling the neighbouring streets up to Stanely Road, including the part of Kasthuria Road nicknamed Street's Jeweller: the street of the jewellers.

You can't miss this impressive baobab located east of the market. It is the pride of the village and everyone will tell you about it. Despite the success of this tree, you should know that there are several others on the road leading to Talaimannar and that there are sixty of them between Mannar and Jaffna. The one in front of you is estimated to be 700 years old, measuring 19.51 m in circumference and 7.5 m in height. It is believed that baobabs were introduced by Arab traders and that their leaves were used as fodder for camels.

It occupies an area of 22 ha and is one of the most fortified in Asia. Before it was ravaged by war, it housed a beautiful Dutch Reformed church (Groote Kerk), also in ruins.

Built in 1619 by the Portuguese on the edge of the lagoon, this fort is the second most important on the island. When Colombo was taken by the Dutch, it was here that the last Portuguese took refuge. The fort nevertheless fell on June 24, 1658, after a three and a half month siege. The fortress was reoccupied by the Dutch and underwent several successive phases of development, including the construction of the inner pentagon. The inscription 'Anno 1680' engraved above the main entrance indicates the year in which the Dutch began their reconstruction. The work lasted until 1792. On 28 September 1795, Jaffna came under the control of the British. The first operations to overthrow the Dutch began on 18 August 1795 with the capture of Trincomalee, followed by Batticaloa, Point Pedro, Jaffna and Mannar. However, 1796 is recorded as the historic year in which the British took possession of the island. The fort remained in its original state until the 1970s, despite its continued use by the British and then the Ceylon government. During the civil war, the fort changed hands several times. It was occupied by the LTTE from 1986 to 1995 and then taken over by the army in 1995, after a 50-day siege. In the end, a large part of the fortress was destroyed

Giant's Tank Sanctuary is a nature reserve located about 20 km southeast of Mannar. Many species of waterfowl and wading birds are found in the sanctuary, as well as a few elephants. At the heart of the sanctuary is the Yodha Wewa, the Giant 's tank, considered to be one of the greatest creations of King Parakramabahu I. This tank is said to be one of the first human hydraulic installations on the island. Forgotten for a long time, it was reused when the British arrived.