Point Pedro

Point Pedro is the northernmost land in Sri Lanka, a low sandy headland on the Jaffna peninsula with a lighthouse marking it and beaches running east and west that are almost entirely empty. The town behind is a working fishing settlement. Nearby is Manalkadu, a stretch of sand dunes moving inland that has half buried an old church, leaving the tower standing out of the sand.

Background

Point Pedro, also known as Paruthithurai, belongs to Jaffna District. The town covers 11.65 square kilometres and had 31,351 residents in 2011. Cotton is grown around it in fertile calcic red latosol soils. Along the eastern shore a beach 3 miles wide and 20 miles long runs to Thalayady, with dunes up to 100 feet high. The porous soil sits over a deep water table, estimated to hold one billion litres of fresh water. The tsunami of 2004 destroyed parts of the town, flooded some areas up to 4 feet deep and made the groundwater saltier.

Source: Wikipedia, "Point Pedro"

What you'll find

• The northernmost point - the tip of the island, marked by the lighthouse.
• The lighthouse - the tower on the headland above the shore.
• The Manalkadu dunes - drifting sand that has buried a church to its tower.
• The empty beaches - long stretches of sand east and west of the point.

When to go

December to March is the most comfortable; the northeast monsoon brings rain but cooler air. Summer is severely hot with little shade. Mornings are best.

Practical notes

The lighthouse is not open to visitors. There is very little shade anywhere on the peninsula. Facilities in the town are basic.

Nearby

Manalkadu dunes are south, and Jaffna town is southwest.