At Sri Lanka's northernmost tip, shifting sand dunes slowly consume a centuries-old church while pristine beaches stretch endlessly along the Indian Ocean — a hauntingly beautiful frontier where land meets legend.
Manatkadu — Tamil for "Sand Bush" — is a sleepy fishing village on the northeastern shore of the Jaffna Peninsula, about 12 kilometres from Point Pedro. Here, Sri Lanka's longest chain of sand dunes, reaching heights of up to 16 metres, slowly advances inland, swallowing everything in its path — including the haunting ruins of an ancient St. Anthony's Church.
Point Pedro itself, known as Paruthithurai (Cotton Harbour) in Tamil, marks Sri Lanka's northernmost point. Its name derives from the Portuguese "Ponta das Pedras" — Point of Rocks. Once a vital trading port exporting cotton to South India, this coastal region combines golden beaches, colonial history, and the raw beauty of a landscape shaped by wind, sand, and sea.
Point Pedro was an ancient trading port, its Tamil name Paruthithurai meaning "Cotton Harbour." For centuries, cotton was exported to South India from the fertile red latosol soils surrounding the town. The nearby village of Vallipuram was a rich archaeological settlement.
The Portuguese named the area "Ponta das Pedras" — Point of Rocks — leaving their mark through churches and trade. Portuguese convents were established across the peninsula, some later destroyed or absorbed during Dutch occupation.
During Dutch rule, Philippus Baldaeus settled in Jaffna, documenting Tamil customs. The old St. Anthony's Church at Manatkadu is believed to date from this period — its walls built from coral stone, a rare construction technique in Sri Lanka. The Dutch Reformed Church in Point Pedro was completed in 1755.
Wesleyan and American missionaries established schools including Hartley College. The Point Pedro Lighthouse was built in 1916. Meanwhile, the relentless sand dunes began their century-long march inland, gradually consuming St. Anthony's Church and declaring the building an archaeological monument.
The devastating tsunami of 26 December 2004 struck the coast with waters reaching 4 feet deep, destroying parts of Point Pedro. Many graves in the Manatkadu cemetery mark the victims of this tragedy. The tsunami also raised the salt content of groundwater across the region.
Since tourism reopened to the north after 2014, Manatkadu and Point Pedro have slowly begun to attract visitors drawn to the eerie beauty of the sand-swallowed church, the endless golden beaches, and the monument at Sakkotai Cape proclaiming Sri Lanka's northernmost point with the words: "Unity in Diversity is the Strength of Sri Lanka."
The ruins of old St. Anthony's Church are slowly being consumed by sand dunes that have been advancing for over a century. Built from coral stone during the Dutch era, its massive arched walls rise eerily from the golden sand — a protected archaeological monument.
Sri Lanka's longest chain of sand dunes stretches along the coast, reaching heights of 16 metres. The Tamil name "Manalkadu" means "Sand Bush" — the dunes are partially overgrown by thicket, with villagers planting Casuarina trees to slow the advance.
A 3-mile wide, 20-mile long beach stretches from Point Pedro to Thalayady — one of the longest and most unspoilt stretches of sand in all of Sri Lanka. Calm turquoise waters, golden sand, and swaying coconut palms create a tropical paradise.
Built by the British in 1916, the white lighthouse at Sri Lanka's northernmost point offers panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. Nearby, Sakkotai Cape marks the island's true northern tip with a monument and directional signpost.
The cemetery adjacent to the church ruins holds cross markers for victims of the devastating 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. As the dunes shift, the graves are revealed and covered in an ever-changing landscape of memory and sand.
Manatkadu remains a working fishing village where colourful boats line the golden beach and woven baskets dry in the sun. Point Pedro's harbour, once a cotton trading port, sustains communities through fishing and the production of dried fish.
The old St. Anthony's Church at Manatkadu is one of Sri Lanka's most hauntingly beautiful ruins. Dating to the Dutch colonial era of the 17th century — though some accounts place it in the late 19th century under British rule — the coral stone walls with their magnificent arches have been slowly consumed by shifting sand dunes for over a century. The Department of Archaeology has declared it a protected monument, yet nature continues its relentless work.
Stand at Sri Lanka's northernmost point, explore a church being consumed by time itself, and witness the raw beauty where golden dunes meet the Indian Ocean.
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