About this experience
Hummanaya is the only known blowhole in Sri Lanka. It lies near Kudawella, a small fishing village in the Southern Province. To get to it you cross a tombolo, a strip of sand and gravel that joins a former island to the mainland.
A blowhole forms where waves wear caverns into a coastal cliff. As the tide fills them, pressure builds and forces seawater up through an opening in the rock in a sudden fountain. At Hummanaya the spray can reach between 25 and 30 metres. The name comes from the deep humming sound the hole makes while it is active, and it is believed to be one of the largest blowholes in the world.
How high and how often it blows depends on the tide and the waves, so no two visits look quite the same. The fountain is the result of slow erosion: waves, stones and the acid in seawater have widened cracks in the cliff over a long time.
With this ticket you are not left to work things out alone. An English-speaking guide from the area comes with you and explains how the blowhole works. Lakpura secures the entry in advance, so the visit runs smoothly once you are at Kudawella.
