Hummanaya Blow Hole is the only blowhole in Sri Lanka and the second-largest one of its kind in the world, Hummanaya blowhole is an incredible natural landmark that attracts hundreds of tourists every season. Situated in the little village by the sea named Kudawella in the Southern Province-between Yala and Weligama-it is a great natural fountain that sprays up into the air from in between two large rocks. The spray is often between eighty and a hundred feet tall during high tide or a storm.

For all its raw power and size, this unique tourist site is among the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka at high tide. The place gets in name from the Sinhala terms “Hoo+manaya”. “Hoo” was once a traditional method of measuring distance in rural areas but it is also onomatopoeic, and denotes the gush of water in between the rocks. It is the distance at which the “Hoo” can be heard.

Written by Vasika Udurawane for Travel Lanka Compass