Ussangoda National Park
A windswept coastal plateau of red-tinged earth and low scrub tied to the Ramayana legend, its unusual soil and sweeping sea cliffs unlike anywhere else on the coast.
Near Ambalantota on Sri Lanka's southern coast, a plateau of deep red earth rises above the surrounding green landscape, its barren, largely treeless terrain looking so strikingly out of place that visitors have long compared it to the surface of Mars. Ussangoda covers a modest area, roughly 4 to 5 square kilometers, but its unusual geology, soil rich in iron and nickel giving the ground its distinctive brick red hue, has made it one of the more genuinely mysterious landscapes anywhere in Sri Lanka, its scientific explanation, high concentrations of heavy metals, doing little to dampen the folklore that's grown up around the place over centuries.
That folklore ties directly into the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic, with local legend identifying Ussangoda as one of the landing strips used by King Ravana's mythical flying chariot, the Pushpaka Vimana, and in one version of the story, the very spot where Hanuman launched himself back toward South India after finding Sita. Other traditions consider the plateau sacred ground belonging to the local demi-god Mangara, a spiritually charged site quite apart from its Ramayana associations. Beyond mythology, the area holds genuine archaeological weight too, ancient burial grounds scattered across the plain, along with evidence suggesting the site was inhabited by prehistoric humans, adding real historical substance beneath all the folklore.
Granted national park status in 2010, Ussangoda remains one of Sri Lanka's more recently established protected areas, its coastal position drawing sea turtles that nest on nearby beaches alongside resident peacocks and Sri Lankan junglefowl moving across the plateau. Sunset draws the steadiest stream of visitors, the reddish earth and coastal horizon combining into a genuinely dramatic scene, and unlike most protected areas in the country, Ussangoda charges no entrance fee at all, remaining an open, lightly regulated landscape that rewards nothing more than a short uphill walk and a willingness to wander.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: 1 to 1.5 hours
- Best time: Late afternoon, for the light on the red earth
Getting there
Near Nonagama, about 25km west of Hambantota, off the coast road.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Ussangoda National Park?
- Free.
- What are the opening hours at Ussangoda National Park?
- Daylight hours.
- How long should I spend at Ussangoda National Park?
- Plan for 1 to 1.5 hours.
- When is the best time to visit Ussangoda National Park?
- Late afternoon, for the light on the red earth.
- How do I get to Ussangoda National Park?
- Near Nonagama, about 25km west of Hambantota, off the coast road.