A remote coral-and-baobab island famous for its herds of wild ponies descended from colonial-era horses.

Overview

Delft Island, known in Tamil as Neduntheevu, is a windswept, flat island of coral-stone walls, palmyrah palms and grazing land reached by a longer navy ferry from Kurikadduwan jetty. Its most famous residents are the free-roaming wild ponies, descendants of horses brought by the Portuguese and Dutch. Other curiosities include a giant ancient baobab tree, a growing coral 'stone', Dutch-era ruins, a dovecote and a pigeon tower, all scattered across a starkly beautiful landscape best explored by hired tuk-tuk or van on the island.

History

Named Delft by the Dutch after the city in the Netherlands, the island was used during the colonial period to breed and graze horses, whose feral descendants still roam it today. Its coral-block walls, ruined fort and stables date from that era, and the island remains one of the most remote and distinctive corners of Sri Lanka.