Katugas Ella Waterfall — Attraction in Sabaragamuwa Province

Nice waterfall that can access about in 20 minutes from downtown. If you travel with private vehicle you just need about 10minutes to rech there. If you use public transport, there have two buses to Katugas waterfall. You can get off in the entrance. Your bus is at Central bus stations first line's corner. Get in to it and take tickets to Katugas ella. It's normaly about 26-28 for adult(can be change). There have few small shops in there. You can't buy foods there. But they have beverages(Coke, pepsi, sprite etc.) and bites. Also you can buy phone cards, sopes, shampoos. Highly recommend to you take foods from town. If not you have to bath and stay in hungry.:D. Park your vehicle in the nearest ground or waterfalls entrance.

Few things to be alerts on.... Don't trow garbage and bottles to the environment. So many people do this. You can see the result. Waterfall is fully coverd in a jungle. So the animals came out and eat things you thrown out. And polithine bags and plastic are very harmful to environment. Watch your steps carefully. Rocks are very silky when raining season. And some drunken people throw bottles out and glass pieces can bleed. 3.This site don't allow hunting or fishing. You can taste nearest fruites in the trees.But don't try to hunting or fishing. 4.Some of public holidays there was so many visitors. Some of them will drunk. So don't make trouble with them. If they trouble to you, go to the entrance and there have more villagers. Tell them your problem. They will help you. 5.This is the very important thing. When it's raining, don't stay in the water for any reason. Water fall's water level suddenly changing in rain and make sudden flood.

Tips.... -Try to visit in weekdays. So you can enjoy your journey with Zero troubles.weekend,public holidays, school holiday seasons are make the place busy. And you will get some unexpected memories. -Morning and evening is not suitable for bath. Water is so cold in that times. So the noon is the better. -In mango and Rambutan season, there have nice wild mango tree and Rambutan tree on start point. They are full of fruits in the season. Wild monkeys also came to eat mangos. So don't make trouble to them. You can taste them without anyones permission. -On january first weeks there have a annual perahara festival in nearest palmgarden temple. It also have carnival. All elephants are take katugas ella to bath. So you can get more experience. You can take photos with them.(ask elephants owner. They will definitely let you take pictures with them.) -If you stay there in a night. It will be great. You can see thousands of light flys flying around you. But be careful with snakes. There have so many wild foxes on night. They didn't harmful. They just came closed to you for find foods. But don't try to touch them. -sunday and poya days are busy. But you have just one bus some of those days. -upper side have Superb places to bath. If your team has children,don't go upper side. Stay in down. -If you take bat and ball or football, you can use playground near the waterfall.

Bus time table Ratnapura to Katugas ella 7.25am 8.30am 10.15am 11.30pm 12.30pm 1.30pm 2.30pm 3.00pm 3.30pm 4.30pm 5.30pm 6.00pm *this can be change without notice. You can ask time at the bus staion office. *if you didn't find the bus. Or the all two buses not in service. Just catch took took from the bus staions other side. It just cost about 250-300LKR to go katugas waterfall. Or you can get into a kuruvita, new town, eheliyagoda, goluwawila (12-15LKR for person) bus and get off from the weralupa junction. There have a took took park. Get one and go to waterfall. It just about 100LKR. Thank you! Please just left only your foot prints don't let anything else.. පා සටහන් පමණක් තබා යන්න කිසිවක් තබා නොයන්න.. (ඊගල් ක්‍රීඩා සමාජය, රත්නපුරේ බ්‍රෝ @ratnapurebro සමග මංසල...

🌿 Katugas Ella Falls — Ratnapura District

Katugas Ella is a charming 6‑meter waterfall tucked in the forested village of Kospelawinna, approximately 3 km from Ratnapura. Fed by the Katugas Ela springs from the southern slopes of Minuwangala mountain, the cascade flows into the Kalu Ganga .

🔍 First Impressions

The waterfall is not visible from the road and requires a short walk streamside to reach the scenic cascade.

Many visitors first see a lower ~1 m drop, but the true 6 m fall is further upstream after crossing rocky terrain .

Water collects in emerald-green pools, perfect for cooling off on a hot day—but caution is essential during the rainy season due to slippery rocks and flash flooding risks .

✅ Highlights

Rich jungle setting: Dense foliage, rock formations, and cooler microclimate make this a serene escape and a great spot for nature photography or a quiet picnic .

Natural bathing pools: Multiple small pools offer a refreshing dip, especially in dry season conditions.

Minimal crowds: Generally quiet, even on weekends, since it's less developed and not widely advertised.

⚠️ Safety & Tips

Terrain: Access involves stepping over rocky streambeds and trekking upstream—proper footwear is essential to prevent slips .

Best season: Visit during the dry season (December–April) for safer footing and moderate water flow. Avoid wet months when rocks are slick and currents stronger .

Facilities: None on-site—no restrooms, shops, or formal pathways. Bring your own water, snacks, and towel.

Supervision required: Not suitable for unsupervised children or those unsteady on rocks—stream crossings can be risky after rain .

🚗 Getting There

From Ratnapura town, follow A4 toward Balangoda and turn at Weralupa Junction. Drive ~2 – 2.5 km toward Kospelawinna.

At a small bridge, take the path beside Katugas Dola (stream) and trek a few hundred meters upstream to find the waterfall .

Tuk‑tuk or motorbike is convenient—you can also park near the junction and walk the...

Katugas Ella Falls is 6 meters high according the Eberhard Kautzsch  (A guide to the waterfalls of Sri Lanka) but Dr H.A.P. Abhayavardhana in his book Heritage of Sabaragamuwa places the height to about 70 feet which is 21.7 meters. This waterfall lies on the Katugas Ela with its sources in the monsoon forests of the southern slopes of the Minuwangala mountain. Katugas Ela falls eventually  falls on to the Kalu Ganga,

From Weralupa junction and take a left hand turn towards Kospelawinna. After traveling 2Km’s you will approach a junction where you need to take a another left hand turn and come to a location with a cricket ground and a nearby bridge. There is a notice board put up by Nade gura organization showing directions towards Katugas falls at this point. Walk few hundred meters along the stream and continued up stream tackling rocks and streams and you will reach a small cascade of Katugas dola which will easily fool any person as Katugas falls. Actually the main waterfall is found further upstream. One needs to be very careful if it has rained due to the risk of slipping and falling in addition to flash floods.

To reach the 6m high Katugas Falls, which is situated in the Ratnapura District, take the road from Colombo to Ratnapura and turn off at Weralupa junction. Head towards Koswinna for 2.5km until the small bridge, where there is a minor road. The fall can be found 100m...