Outdoors · Mannar · Northern

The Sands of Mannar Island

Mannar Island — 30 km from Mannar town

THE ISLAND FROM ABOVEPhoto by Rehman Abubakr on Wikimedia Commons9.0500° N, 79.8333° E

A 700-year-old baobab planted by Arab traders still stands at Pallimunai, its trunk nearly 20 metres around.

A low island joined to the mainland by causeway, reaching toward India across the Palk Strait. Baobab trees, wild donkeys, and a Portuguese-then-Dutch fort mark its history as a trading stop on the pearl route.

Adjacent entries

Vankalai SanctuaryWildlife · 16 kmAdam's Bridge Marine National ParkWildlife · 23 kmDelft National ParkWildlife · 52 km