Vavulpane Limestone Cavern

What?
This is a unique limestone cave with an underground waterfall, estimated to be around 500 million years old.

Where?
It is located in the Ratnapura district and approximately 180 km from Colombo.

When?
The best time to visit is from December to April, during the dry season.

Vavulpane Limestone Cavern is one of the world’s most famous gem-mining and cutting caverns. It is located in Embilipitiya, Ratnapura. It was found in 1938, but it is about 500 million years old. This magnificent cavern is about 278 meters above sea level and consists of at least 12 caves of various sizes. The main cave is about 457 meters long and has two similar entrances. The main part of the Carven consists of Miocene limestone. It is something special because it contains fossils of dinosaur-like creatures. The name Vavulpane was given after 250,000 bats that inhabited the caves. The visitors should have high- powered torches to be able to see more clearly.

Vavulpane Limestone Carven has many stalactites and stalagmites of various types of white, cream, pink, and yellow limestone. Its surroundings are full of indigenous bird species, rare species of indigenous lizards, insects, frogs and many tropical foliage species.