Sri Lanka is an island, but it has smaller islands of its own, and some of the most memorable days on a trip are spent on them: wild ponies on a coral-walled island in the Palk Strait, a temple at the end of a jetty, a reef a boat ride off the east coast. Most of the islands in Sri Lanka worth visiting are in the far north, where a string of them trails off the Jaffna peninsula towards India.
Here’s what each is like, how you get there and who it suits.
Delft: ponies, coral walls and a long day
Delft Island (Neduntheevu) is a flat, dry island about 35 km south-west of Jaffna, reached by an hour-long ferry from Kurikadduwan jetty. It’s known for feral ponies descended from colonial-era horses, fields fenced with stacked coral, a huge old baobab and the coral-stone ruins of a fort. Much of the ponies’ range is inside Delft National Park, declared in 2015.
It’s the most remote-feeling place you can reach in a day from Jaffna, and the hardest work. Sailings are few, with boats out in the morning and back in the afternoon, and no official timetable is published. Confirm when the last boat back leaves as soon as you land. Bring plenty of water and food, since there’s very little for visitors on the island.
Nainativu: two temples, one short crossing
Nainativu, a small island off the Jaffna peninsula, is holy to both Hindus and Buddhists. The painted gateway tower of the Nagapooshani Amman Temple stands right by the jetty, and the Buddhist Nagadeepa Purana Viharaya, one of the sixteen places Buddhists hold most sacred, is about 700 m along the shore.
Boats leave from the same jetty as the Delft ferry, Kurikadduwan on Punkudutivu, about an hour by road from Jaffna. The crossing is short; recent visitors (2024–25) describe wooden boats that leave when full and a fare of around Rs 80 ($0.24 · convert) each way. Allow half a day, and check that you’re in the right queue. Most people choose one island per day.
Mannar Island: forts, baobabs and the end of the line
Mannar Island, off the north-west coast, is joined to the mainland by a causeway and bridge, so you can drive or take the train onto it. At the eastern end stand Mannar Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560, and a giant baobab at Pallimunai. At the far end, Talaimannar, the railway runs down to the shore beside an old pier and lighthouse.
Beyond it, the sandbanks of Adam’s Bridge run out towards India. They are a marine national park, and going out to them by boat needs prior permission from the Sri Lanka Navy. From November to March, flamingos and other migrant birds fill the lagoons around the causeway.
Pigeon Island: the reef
Pigeon Island National Park protects two small islands and their coral reef about 1 km off Nilaveli, north of Trincomalee. Boats leave from Nilaveli beach. Snorkellers often see blacktip reef sharks and sea turtles in the shallows, though bleaching and heavy use have damaged the coral, and recent visitors (2025–26) report roped-off areas to let it recover.
Plan it for the middle of the year, the dry season on this coast: rough seas often close the park from about October to January.
Small islands on the south and west coasts
- Paravi Duwa, Matara. A small island temple with a white stupa, just off Matara‘s beach, reached on foot along a bridge about 340 feet long that opened in 2023.
- Kothduwa, on the Madu Ganga. An island temple in the mangrove lagoon at Balapitiya, between Bentota and Hikkaduwa, visited on a Madu Ganga boat trip. Some of the other islands in the lagoon grow and peel cinnamon.
- Taprobane, Weligama. The rocky islet off Weligama beach where a Frenchman calling himself Count de Mauny made his home from around 1925, later owned by the writer Paul Bowles. It’s privately owned and rented as a villa, so you see it from the beach.
Islands in a reservoir
In Gal Oya National Park, boats cross the Senanayake Samudraya reservoir past wooded islands where birds nest. Sri Lanka Tourism describes elephants swimming out to the islands to feed as a common sight at dusk in the dry season.
Which island for you?
- One day, real remoteness: Delft, if you’re happy with an early start and an uncertain ferry.
- A half-day with temples: Nainativu.
- Easy access by train or car: Mannar Island.
- Snorkelling: Pigeon Island, in the dry months on the east coast.
- A short stop on the south coast: Paravi Duwa.
For the north, two or three nights in Jaffna let you fit in Delft and Nainativu on separate days, and our northern Sri Lanka in 7 days adds Mannar. For Pigeon Island, see Trincomalee, Nilaveli or Pasikuda to choose a base.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How do you get to Delft Island?
By road from Jaffna to Kurikadduwan jetty on Punkudutivu, about an hour, then by ferry, about another hour. Sailings are few and depend on the weather, so start early.
Can you visit Delft and Nainativu on the same day?
Boats to both leave from Kurikadduwan jetty, but they are separate services and Delft’s sailings are few. Most people choose one island per day.
Can you visit the Adam’s Bridge sandbanks?
Only by boat with prior permission from the Sri Lanka Navy. You can look out towards them from the shore at Talaimannar.
When is Pigeon Island open?
Rough seas often close it from about October to January, the rainy season on the east coast. The middle of the year is the dry season there.
Can you visit Taprobane Island?
Only as a guest. It is privately owned and rented out as a villa; you can see it from Weligama beach.
Header photo: AntanO / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
