Charty Beach

Charty Beach lies on the southern coast of Velanai island, about forty-five minutes from Jaffna town across the Pannai causeway. It is a small, sheltered crescent of sand fronted by shallow water and a backing line of palms — a working swimming beach used principally by local families on weekend afternoons rather than a tourist development. There are a couple of simple food shacks above the high-water mark and not much else.

The water here is calmer and more enclosed than at Casuarina on neighbouring Karainagar. Charty sits on the inner lagoon side of the island, sheltered from the open swell of the Palk Strait, and the bay shape pulls the surf down further still. The depth shelves slowly and the sand is soft underfoot; on a calm day the visibility is good for fifty metres out. It is a particularly easy beach for children and for travellers who prefer a quiet swim to the open coast.

The crowd is local and unhurried. Sundays and public holidays draw the largest numbers — Catholic families from the surrounding parishes come for an afternoon by the water — but on a weekday morning in the dry months the beach is often empty apart from a handful of fishermen pulling up their boats. The few food shacks open on demand and serve the usual short eats and fried fish; bring water if you plan to stay for any length of time.

For travellers, the most rewarding way to approach Charty is as part of a half-day on Velanai: the Catholic churches at Kayts town in the morning, a swim and a fish lunch at Charty, and the back-road drive on through Karainagar in the late afternoon. The contrast with the open coast at Casuarina, a short drive on, is the point — a small, gentle, locally used beach versus the longer, brighter, busier one on the next island.