Hummanaya blowhole

What happens at the blowhole

Under the cliff, a narrow crack and a small cave open to the sea. Each wave rushes in and squeezes the water inside. The water has nowhere to go but up, so it bursts out of a hole at the top. The bigger the waves, the higher the spout.

Small splashes come often. Then there is a pause, and sometimes a much bigger burst. A big spout can take several minutes to come, so be ready to wait. On a sunny day you may see a rainbow in the spray.

The name Hummanaya (in Sinhala, හුම්මානය) comes from the “hoo” sound it makes. Some people in the village believe that a loud “hoo!” or a clap makes it blow harder. That is a local belief, not science. Many maps write the name with two words at the end: Hummanaya Blow Hole.

You may read big claims about how high it sprays, or how it ranks in the world. Nobody has measured it. Blowholes are found on rocky coasts all over the world, and some are said to spray just as high. Hummanaya is simply Sri Lanka’s best-known blowhole.

When does it spout most?

The spout depends on the waves. Big waves make big spouts. A calm sea makes small ones, or none at all.

• May to September: the windy months of the south-west monsoon, with rougher seas on this coast. The spout is usually at its biggest.
• December to March: the busy holiday season. The sea is often calm, so the spout is often small. A day with bigger waves can still bring good bursts.
• The tide: tides here rise and fall only about half a metre, so the waves matter much more. A high tide may help a little. High tide comes about 50 minutes later each day. Tides are a little bigger around the full moon and the new moon.
• Time of day: go in the morning. By midday, the sun on the bare rocks is very strong.

Here is a simple test. Look at the bay before you leave. If big white waves are breaking at Hiriketiya, the blowhole will probably be better. Both face the same waves from the south. Allow about an hour at the viewing area. For the seasons at the bay itself, read the best time to visit Hiriketiya.

Staying safe on the rocks

The viewing area has steel railings, but reports say they do not cover every edge. The rocks are uneven, and the spray makes them wet and slippery. Sea urchins (small sea animals covered in sharp spines) live in the rock pools.

• Stay behind the railings, in the viewing area.
• Hold small children by the hand.
• Wear shoes with a good grip.
• Never climb onto the rocks or lean towards the hole for a photo. A big wave can wash people off rocks.
• If anyone offers to take you past the railings, say no.
• Never swim here.

The sea off Kudawella is strong. In January 2024, police said currents swept away two men who were bathing there. One died, and one went missing. Blowholes can be dangerous for watchers too. In 1992, a sudden surge at a blowhole in Australia swept people into the sea, and six of them died.

Kudawella is covered by Tangalle Police, not Dikwella’s. In an emergency, call:

• 119for the police
• 1990for a free ambulance
• 106for the Coast Guard, for help at sea

For more about the sea on this coast, read is Hiriketiya safe?.

Guides from 2025 and 2026 say visitors from abroad pay about LKR 500 (about US$1.50). Sri Lankans pay about LKR 50. We found no price list online, and no price for children. Prices have gone up: an online map showed LKR 250 for visitors from abroad in 2023. Pay in cash at the ticket booth beside the information centre.

We found no official opening hours. Online listings say about 8 am to 7 pm, every day. Go in daylight, because the path has steps and the rocks are uneven.

Parking at the paid car park costs about LKR 50 to 100 (reports from 2020 to 2025). Bring small notes.

Plan your trip to the rocks

• Where it is: in Kudawella village, in Hambantota District. Many websites say Dikwella or Matara, but it is in neither. To find it in Google Maps, type XPHQ+2FG Kudawella.
• The walk: from the car park it is about 300 metres. You follow a village lane with small stalls selling drinks, fried fish snacks and dried fish. Then a path with steps leads to the ticket booth, and the last part is a rough, rocky climb. Allow 10 to 20 minutes each way. It is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
• What is there: a small information centre and a viewing platform, both built by 2009. We don’t know if the centre is open now. There are toilets near the ticket booth, and a water tap and a bench by the viewing area. We found nothing about shade, so bring a hat and water.
• The village: people live and work along the lane, so ask before you photograph people, homes or boats. On the way you pass Kudawella Fishery Harbour, a big government-run harbour for about 400 boats, opened in 1998. It is a gated workplace, so look from outside unless someone invites you in.
• Shells and rubbish: you may see shells for sale. But taking coral, shells or other protected sea life out of Sri Lanka is against the law. Please take your rubbish home with you.
• Make a day of it: the blowhole is on the way east to the Tangalle beaches. Further on, the Rekawa turtle watch runs at night.