The best cave and rock temples in Sri Lanka

In early Buddhist Sri Lanka, monks lived in natural rock shelters, especially in the dry zone. Donors carved drip ledges above the cave mouths and inscribed their names in early Brahmi script, many of which survive. Over time, these simple shelters became shrines, with walls built across the front and Buddha images inside.

In later centuries, especially in the Kandyan period, kings and monks restored and painted many cave temples, covering ceilings and walls with murals of the Buddha's life and Jataka stories. The result is a mix of ancient rock and colourful, more recent art.

Visiting a cave temple is usually quiet and cool, a welcome contrast to the heat outside.

Dambulla's Royal Cave Temple is the largest and most famous cave temple in Sri Lanka, with five caves under a huge overhang, filled with Buddha statues and painted ceilings. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The climb up the rock takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes.

Aluvihare, near Matale, is where monks wrote down the Buddhist scriptures, the Tipitaka, on palm leaves in the first century BC. Its caves are set among boulders, and one contains vivid, sometimes gruesome murals of the afterlife.

In Anuradhapura, Isurumuniya is a small rock temple with carvings of lovers and elephants, set beside a pond. Pidurangala, next to Sigiriya, has a cave temple with a large reclining Buddha near the top of the climb.

Degaldoruwa, near Kandy, is a cave temple cut into a rock outcrop, with some of the finest Kandyan-period murals in Sri Lanka, painted in the eighteenth century. It is rarely crowded and easily combined with a visit to Kandy.

Ridi Vihara, near Kurunegala, has a cave temple with a reclining Buddha and a platform decorated with Dutch tiles. Dowa rock temple, near Bandarawela, has a large standing Buddha carved into the cliff face, left unfinished, and a small cave shrine with murals.

Lankan Stays & Trails often adds Degaldoruwa or Dowa to a hill country route, so travellers see a quieter cave temple alongside the famous ones.

Mulkirigala, near Tangalle, is a rock monastery with a series of cave shrines climbing a sheer outcrop, connected by stairs. The caves hold reclining Buddhas and murals, and the summit offers wide views.

Sithulpawwa, inside the Yala area, was a large monastery in ancient times, with caves and a restored stupa on a rock. It is often visited with a Yala safari. Kudumbigala, near Kumana, is a forest hermitage with rock caves and a summit view over the jungle.

These southern and eastern rock temples are quieter than Dambulla and set in wilder landscapes, often with wildlife nearby.

Cave temples are active religious sites. Wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees, remove shoes and hats before entering, and do not pose with your back to Buddha statues. Photography may be restricted inside; flash is usually not allowed.

Go early or late in the day to avoid heat on the climbs and crowds inside the caves. Carry socks, as rock steps can be very hot in the dry zone. Small donations are welcome at most temples.