The most beautiful natural sites to discover Cultural Triangle

Pidurangala is a rocky promontory, about 1 kilometre as the crow flies north of the Sigiriya fortress (3 kilometres by road). It houses an ancient Buddhist monastic complex, Pidurangala Cave Temple. This monastery was developed in the^5th century by King Kashyapa. Access is via the Pidurangala Vihara, a more recent temple, and then up some steep stairs to the ancient temple and its large reclining Buddha statue, then a bit of climbing to reach the top. From the top of the rock, the view on Sigiriya and the surroundings is fantastic.

Eco Park is located in Hurulu Forest, which covers 25,000 hectares north of Habarana. Opened in 2007, Eco Park covers only 1,000 hectares of land. Smaller and less expensive than other sites (notably the nearby Minneriya National Park), Eco Park will allow you to observe many groups of elephants in the wild. The route is pleasant but there are far too many vehicles on the same observation point at the same time. Hurulu Wewa, a very modestly sized reservoir, is the main waterhole in the area.

A nature reserve since 1938, Wasgamuwa became a national park in 1984 to protect species displaced by the region's massive Mahaweli Development Project. It covers an area of 37 hectares and is home to many wild animals. It is one of the national parks where the visitor has the opportunity to observe herds of elephants in large numbers, and depending on the season, they move to the nearby Minneriya National Park along the Mahaweli River. More than 140 varieties of birds are also found in the park

This national park covering almost 7,000 hectares is a little brother to Minneriya National Park, to which it is linked by a corridor to encourage the movement of animals between the two parks. At its heart is the imposing Kaudulla Wewa reservoir, built in the 12th century. It attracts elephants who come to drink from it. Other animals that inhabit the reserve include bears, leopards, deer, wild boar, turtles and a multitude of bird species. The best time to visit the park is from August to December.