Jaffna Fort

The Jaffna Fort began as a Portuguese construction in 1618 and was substantially redesigned by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century, who built the star-shaped rampart system that defines its silhouette today. The fort spent decades off-limits during the civil conflict; parts were damaged by shelling in the 1990s and 2000. The partial ruins you walk through are part of its honesty.

What remains is substantial. The outer walls of reddish-pink laterite stone stretch for more than two kilometres, and the bastions that project at intervals are intact enough to walk. The view from the Zwart Bastion on the northern side looks directly across the Jaffna Lagoon: still water, a smudge of islands, and fishing boats that appear at dusk. On a clear evening in November, this is the best free view in the North.

The interior of the fort is open land with a few surviving colonial structures. The old Dutch-period church stands in partial ruin. The government kacheri operates from within the fort grounds. Soldiers from the Sri Lanka Army are stationed here; photography of military structures or personnel is prohibited.

The walk along the ramparts takes about 45 minutes for a partial circuit. The stone is worn and the path is uneven in places; wear shoes rather than sandals. Access is from the main gate on Hospital Road.