Jaffna · Northern Province
Jaffna City
The cultural capital of the north — the fort and the library, palmyra-lined roads out to the islands, and one of the country's fastest-changing property markets.
The area
Jaffna is flat, hot and compact, built around the Dutch fort and the market at the centre. The town spreads out through Nallur, Kokuvil and Chundikuli into large-plot suburban housing, and the causeways run west to Kayts and Karainagar.
Redevelopment since the reopening of the A9 has been steady rather than sudden: new commercial frontage on Hospital Road and KKS Road, and a lot of house-building on family land.
What you can buy
Plots are generally larger and prices substantially lower than anywhere comparable in the west of the country. Much of the stock is single-storey houses on walled family land.
Title is the thing to get right here. Long absences, informal subdivision between relatives and older deeds are common, so a proper title search before any deposit is not optional.
- Large-plot single-storey family houses
- Commercial frontage on Hospital Road and KKS Road
- Agricultural and island land toward Kayts and Karainagar
Getting around
The Northern Line railway reaches Jaffna from Colombo Fort, and Jaffna International Airport at Palaly runs regional flights. The A9 is the main road route south.