Wavulpane Limestone Cave

Worlds 2nd Largest - Mesmerising Sights - Thousands of Bats!

Who wouldn’t love to visit a mystical and ancient cave structure that is inhabited by over 250,000 bats? The Wavulpane limestone cavern of Sri Lanka is an ideal testimony to the unique charm and elegant beauty that oozes out of each attraction of the island. Its mesmerizing natural splendour perfectly fuses with the unique bewitchment each visitor experiences at this amazing site. Located in the District of Ratnapura, the Wavulpane Cave is one of the only limestone caves of Sri Lanka and it safeguards an enormous multitude of appealing and artistically captivating stalactites and stalagmites.

The Wavulpane cave site actually consists of one main cave structure and another dozen various caves, each with its own beauty and charm. Tourists, especially kids, would be struck with the ethereal appearance of these caves and plunge in to a frenzy of exploration and adventure. Situated at over 900 feet above the sea level, the Wavulpane cavern harbours a magnificent internal waterfall. At around 150 feet or 45 metres in height, this waterfall is simply known as the “Wavulpane Ella” and botanists have identified over 100 endemic species of flora in and around the waterfall.

Moving all to the dimensions of the Wavulpane cave, it has been confirmed that it is approximately 150 metres in length and it can be accessed via two disparate doorways. The colonies of bats are found inside the caves and some wildlife enthusiasts place the count of bats at a million! The famous limestone pit is continuously growing and a substantial number of fossils of animals have been discovered here. Wavulpane Cave is the globe’s second largest limestone cave and it lies within close proximity to the Udawalawe National Park. In addition to the bats, a large array of reptiles and mammals can be spotted at Wavulpane.

As mentioned above, the plants in the vicinity are widely diverse and the entire biodiversity reflects the exciting tropical wildlife. Even though it was closed for tourists, it is at present completely accessible and this is one special destination that any tourist should not miss while in Sri Lanka. The Wavulpane cave can be easily reached via the Baluthota Road or the road towards Embilipitiya, which is several kilometres from the Pallebadda tri-junction. The street referred to as the “Wavulpane Development Mawatha” leads to the Wavulpane cave site.