Map of Sri Lanka showing the location of Ratnapura / Rathnapura in relation to 'C' Colombo

Ratnapura / Rathnapura, Sri Lanka

Ratnapura / Rathnapura, "The City of Gems"
is about 100km south-east of Colombo in the
south-western part of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Waterfall - local ones include Bopath Ella, Katugas Ella and Kirindi Ella - - Image courtesy of srilankatourism.org.uk and The Sri Lanka Tourist Board for the UK and Ireland Ratnapura, on the flood plain of the river Kalu, has an existence centered around gem trading and has developed a burgeoning tourist industry to go with it. Gems mined in the Ratnapura / Rathnapura district and the local areas of Kalawana, Bogawantalawa and Ela-era include: alexandrite, amethyst, aquamarine, cat’s eye, garnet, ruby, sapphire, topaz, tourmaline and zircon. There are organised visits to some gem mines that can be arranged through local tour operators. Gem collections can be seen at the Ratnapura / Rathnapura National Museum and a number of private museums that double as sales areas.

Ratnapura's historical places and places of interest:

The cave temple of Diva Guhava (15km)
Maha Saman Devala
Pothgul Viharn
Waterfalls: Bopath Ella, Katugas Ella, Kirindi Ella
Rubber Plantations
Gem Mines and Gem pits in Ratnapura

We apologise for the repetition of some place or proper names with different spellings, but there is no definitive spelling translation of these words.

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