Sabaragamuwa Province: Gemstone History, Caves and Waterfalls

Sabaragamuwa Province brings together a range of travel themes: the gemstone tradition around Ratnapura, archaeological caves and sites, pilgrimage destinations, and waterfalls and river landscapes. When looking for hotels, you can start by considering which focus you want your trip to have.

Gemstones and the Museum in Ratnapura

Ratnapura District is Sri Lanka’s best-known and most productive gemstone mining area. Gemstone mining has been carried out for centuries in the traditional gemstone areas around the district. The National Museum in Ratnapura is within the boundaries of the Ratnapura Municipal Council, in the historic Ehelepola Mansion. Its collections include prehistoric, geological, natural history, ethnological and anthropological objects from Sabaragamuwa District. The zoological section displays petrified and fossilized material from the Ratnapura fauna, dated to between 120,000 and 100,000 years ago. The museum thus brings together the region’s natural and cultural history, as well as the district’s long association with gemstone mining.

Caves, pilgrimage sites and archaeological sites

The Kuragala Monastery Complex includes accessible caves with ancient Brahmi inscriptions; its grounds are designated an archaeological reserve. The complex is located 2.25 kilometers from milestone number 14 on the Balangoda–Uggal Kalthota road. Sri Pada is also located in the province: the mountain lies in Ratnapura District. Six routes lead to the summit, including Ratnapura–Palabaddala, Kuruwita–Erathna and Hatton–Nallathanni. The night climb is timed to reach the summit for sunrise; there are lights and rest areas along the way.

The Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devale holds the annual Saman Devale procession. The site is no more than 2.5 kilometers from Ratnapura–Panadura Road and extends to the banks of the Kalu River. In Pallebedda, the Sankhapala Rajamaha Vihara & Phussadewa Tomb complex includes 14 known caves. The prehistoric burial ground at Ranchamadama offers a different archaeological perspective: it has nine burial chambers; carbon-14 dating puts its age at 3,368 years and dates it to 1359 BC.

Kithulgala Belilena also brings together nature and prehistory. The cave preserves significant evidence supporting the possibility that human settlement in Sri Lanka may have begun as early as the Pleistocene. The route to the cave passes through a difficult gorge and along a long staircase and is about 200 meters long. Excavations there also uncovered two fossilized hominid skeletons, dated to 3,000 and 22,000 years old respectively.

Waterfalls, cave trails and river activities

Bopath Falls is a 31-meter-high waterfall in the village of Agalawaththa, within the Kuruvita Secretarial Division. It is fed by the Kuru River, which rises from springs in the Samanala Range. The sandy area near the falls is suitable for overnight camping. Farther south, Maduwanwela Duvili Falls are formed by a tributary of Andalu Oya, which rises in the Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve. After a 1.5-kilometer stretch, the route to these falls continues as a hike through rice fields and forest. The Ratnapura District also includes 10,300 hectares of Udawalawa National Park.

Wavulpane Limestone Cave has a cascade inside it—that is, an underground waterfall. A 500-meter footpath leads from Wavulpana Vidyalaya to the cave. For a different kind of river experience, white-water rafting on the Kelani River at Kithulgala is described as including five major and four minor rapids. The different details about cave trails, hiking and rafting give you practical reference points for deciding how to balance nature and activity themes on your trip.

Other noteworthy places

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was established in 1975 by Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation as a refuge and breeding center for wild elephants. It is accessible via the A1 Colombo–Kandy Road: at kilometer 82, turn off at Kegalle and continue via Karadupana Junction. The Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala is 2 kilometers from Rambukkana railway station. Watching the elephants bathe in the Maha Oya River is a special attraction. Pinnawala Zoo is home to Sri Lankan leopards, hulmans, Sri Lankan elephants and numerous Sri Lankan bird species, among others.

The Roocastle Wire Bridge is 25 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. It is considered the only wire bridge in Sri Lanka that can be used as a road. Such distinctive features add further potential focuses for your trip alongside the historical sites and natural attractions.

Discover more destinations: Kiralawelkatuwa, Kegalle, Matale, Kandy, Kahawatta, Galketiya, Labugolla, Manana, Ratnapura, Balangoda, Ambepussa, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Saman Pedesa, Pallebedda.

For the broader travel overview: Sri Lanka.