Delft Island tour: Wild horses, ruins & Nainativu temple

Wild horses roam free on a remote island where Dutch forts crumble into sand.

A full-day tour from Jaffna reaches Delft Island by ferry, then explores nine hours of colonial ruins, wild ponies, and untouched beaches with a licensed guide in English or Tamil. The tour includes transport from Jaffna to the jetty, the ferry crossing, island travel by tuk-tuk or safari vehicle, a traditional seafood lunch served on banana leaves in a village house, and a stop at the Nagapooshani Amman Temple on nearby Nainativu Island. Children from age 3 are welcome. The tour suits all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Delft and Nainativu Islands

• Depart from Jaffna town
• Cross Pannai Causeway
• Pass Kannakai Puram Welcome Curve
• Drive to Kurikadduwan Jetty
• Ferry to Delft Island
• Visit Delft Wild Horse Sanctuary
• See Perukamaram Baobab Tree
• View the Growing Stone
• Explore Large Banyan Tree
• Visit Queen’s Tower
• See Pigeon Nest tower
• Tour Old Dutch Hospital ruins
• Visit Old Dutch Courts ruins
• Explore Dutch Fort remains
• Swim at Delft Beach
• Enjoy traditional seafood lunch
• Return to Kurikadduwan Jetty
• Ferry to Nainativu Island
• Visit Nagapooshani Amman Temple
• Return to Jaffna

The experience

You leave Jaffna and drive across the Pannai Causeway, a bridge connecting the mainland to the surrounding islands, watching fishing boats and local birdlife pass below. After about an hour you reach Kurikadduwan Jetty, where you board a public or private ferry for the crossing to Delft Island: a remote speck 35 kilometers off the coast in the Palk Strait. The ferry ride itself is part of the experience: you travel with locals, not tourists, and the water is calm enough that the shallow crossing feels unhurried.

On Delft Island, a tuk-tuk or safari vehicle takes you to the sites. You see the wild ponies first: descendants of horses the Portuguese brought in the 16th century, now roaming the open plains in a harsh, dry landscape. Then comes the Perukamaram, a baobab tree over 400 years old with a trunk so thick it seems to belong to another world. Arab traders introduced it centuries ago. You walk beneath the massive banyan tree in the northeast, its hanging roots forming new trunks across a canopy 60 meters long. The colonial structures come next: Queen's Tower, a navigation beacon from the era when fire lit at its base would push light upward through a chimney to guide ships; the Pigeon Nest, a small stone tower that once housed messenger pigeons; the Old Dutch Hospital and Courts, built from coral and limestone; and the Dutch Fort, now mostly ruins. Between the history, you visit the Growing Stone, a coral rock locals believe slowly increases in size, and Delft Beach, where the shallow, calm water and soft sand make swimming safe and easy. After your swim, you eat a traditional seafood lunch in a village house, the meal served on banana leaves: fish and rice prepared that morning, tasting of the ocean.

The ferry back to the mainland stops at Nainativu Island, where you visit the Nagapooshani Amman Temple, a Hindu site dedicated to Goddess Parvati with a tall gopuram (gateway tower) carved with intricate sculptures. The temple draws thousands of devotees during major festivals and sits at the center of the island's spiritual heritage, connected to the indigenous Naga people who have revered this place for centuries. Your guide provides context in English or Tamil, and the whole day (transport, guide, ferry, lunch, water and coffee) is included in one booking.

What’s included

• Experienced tour guide in English or Tamil.
• transportation from Jaffna to Kurikadduwan Jetty by bike, tuk-tuk, car or van depending on group size.
• public or private ferry to Delft Island.
• island transport by tuk-tuk or safari vehicle.
• admission fees.
• traditional Delft-style seafood lunch served on banana leaves in a village house.
• bottled water.
• coffee and tea.
• fresh juice.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:40

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Tamil

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 22 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Explore YARL Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you have a full morning and afternoon free and prefer shared ferry transport with a group. The nine-hour schedule and fixed departure times mean you'll need to align with the ferry schedule rather than your own timing.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Tamil.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How do I get from Jaffna to Delft Island on this tour?

You travel by bike, tuk-tuk, car or van from Jaffna to Kurikadduwan Jetty (about an hour), depending on group size, then board a public or private ferry for the crossing to Delft Island.

What are the wild horses on Delft Island, and can I get close to them?

Delft's wild ponies are descendants of horses brought by the Portuguese in the 16th century. They roam freely across the island's open plains and you'll see them in their natural habitat during the island portion of the tour, though they are wild animals and not domesticated.

Is swimming included, and what is Delft Beach like?

Yes, you swim at Delft Beach as part of the tour. The water is shallow and calm with a soft sandy bottom, making it safe and comfortable, and the beach is surrounded by untouched, peaceful landscape.

What is the seafood lunch, and where is it served?

Lunch is a traditional Delft-style seafood meal prepared fresh in a village house and served on banana leaves, featuring fish and other local ingredients cooked that day.