Fort Hammenhiel

Fort Hammenhiel sits on a small islet in the channel between Kayts and Karainagar, about an hour by road and short navy boat from Jaffna town. It is the most distinctive of the small Dutch military structures in the North — a compact polygonal fort built in coral stone, low to the water, with bastions at the corners and a central courtyard of barrack rooms. The Dutch name translates loosely as 'heel of the ham', a reference to the shape of the islet on early maps.

The fort began as a Portuguese position in the early seventeenth century and was taken by the Dutch East India Company in 1658 during their long campaign to displace the Portuguese from the island. The Dutch rebuilt it in coral and laterite to control the channel between the two islands, which formed part of the strategic approach to the inner reaches of the Jaffna lagoon. It later passed to the British and, after independence, to the Sri Lankan state. The Sri Lanka Navy holds it today.

The fort has been partially restored. The Navy operates a small guesthouse inside the bastions — a handful of rooms in what were once the barracks, a modest restaurant, and an open courtyard that catches the channel breeze. Day visitors are also accepted, subject to the Navy's arrangements; access is by short boat ride from a jetty on the Karainagar side, with bookings handled through the Navy or through Jaffna hotels and tour operators.

What gives Hammenhiel its weight is the location. The fort sits low on its islet with the channel running on every side, and the view from the bastions takes in the long shape of Kayts, the Karainagar coast, and the open lagoon to the north. It is one of the few places in Sri Lanka where a small colonial fort, the surrounding water, and the working life of the islands are all in the same frame.

A visit is best built around lunch or an overnight stay. Combine it with Casuarina Beach on the Karainagar side, the Kayts causeway crossings, and a stop at the Pannai Causeway on the way out of Jaffna town for a coherent day in the islands.