Bible Rock (Bathalegala)
Sabaragamuwa Province
About Bible Rock (Bathalegala)
Bible Rock has been startling travellers on the Colombo–Kandy road for two centuries: a sheer-sided, perfectly flat-topped mountain rising 798 metres over the Mawanella valley, its silhouette so like an open book on a lectern that British planters named it on sight. The hike from the Aranayake side is short and rewarding - about an hour and a half through rubber and spice smallholdings, then forest steps to the astonishing summit plateau, where a tiny shrine and a resident dog or two share a tabletop of grass with a 360-degree panorama: the Kadugannawa pass and Alagalla peaks, Utuwankanda (lair of the Robin Hood bandit Saradiel), and ridge upon ridge toward Adam's Peak. Sunrise floats the whole valley on cloud. Little visited compared with Ella's hikes, Bible Rock makes a perfect adventure pause on any Colombo–Kandy transfer.
Top Activities
- ✓Sunrise summit hike
- ✓The open-book silhouette from the Kandy road
- ✓360° highland panoramas
- ✓Village trails through spice gardens
- ✓Combine with Kadugannawa pass viewpoints
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Start from Aranayake before dawn for the cloud-sea sunrise.
The final steps are steep but short - sturdy shoes suffice.
Combine with the Colombo–Kandy drive; the trailhead is a small detour.
Quick Info
Best Time
December to April; sunrise
Weather
Warm below, breezy on top; mornings are clearest.
Estimated Daily Budget
7.1836°N, 80.4489°E
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