There is no doubt that Sri Lanka is one of the most photogenic destinations in the world. It is a picturesque country with pristine beaches lined with palm trees in the coastal area. As well, lush green mountains covered with jungles in the hill country offer marvelous opportunities for nature photographers. There’s no shortage of wonderful sceneries or Instagram spots on the island. In this guide, we’ve put together the 10 epic photogenic spots in Sri Lanka. These natural wonders have impressive sceneries to capture the ultimate beauty of the island. Don’t forget to visit these epic photogenic spots in Sri Lanka and capture spectacular shots during your travel to this beautiful country.
1. Ella Rock
The tourist paradise Ella is a gorgeous place with beautiful surrounding nature. Ella Rock considers the best island’s hiking trail to observe the dynamic and panoramic views from the summit. The sight of green valleys and cloud-kissing mountains makes it a wonderful epic photogenic spot in Sri Lanka. There are two prominent hiking routes in Ella, including Ella rock and Little Adam’s peak. Hiking Ella rock is challenging, while Little Adam’s peak is a fairly easy hike.
Both Ella and Little Adam’s Peak hikes are very rewarding in the end. You’ll enjoy splendid sceneries of the 360-degree view of the neighboring mountains. The view on top is absolutely breathtaking and there are lots of gorgeous Instagram shots from the summit. The incredible views from the peak show the beauty of the Sri Lankan countryside, which makes this trek completely worthwhile.
2. Nine Arch Bridge
The Nine Arches Bridge called the “bridge in the sky” is one of Sri Lanka’s majestic colonial-era railway construction works. It is one of the epic photogenic spots in Sri Lanka. You’ll meet this highly famous tourist spot while riding the scenic Kandy-Ella train. This Bridge is located in the green hills between Ella and Demodara stations.
It is almost 100 years old and still shows the grandeur of ancient constructions and incredible architectural skills. The 24 m tall bridge was constructed by blocks of stone and cement, without any strengthening iron or steel. The hike to Nine Arch Bridge is an easy walking trail, surround by lush greenery and sweeping hill views.
The bridge can snap from above, with the famous blue train passing slowly over the bridge creating captivating scenery. There is an awesome viewpoint below the bridge in the tea fields that is popular for photography. It is particularly famous for shooting up the bridge from below. Nine Arch Bridge is an iconic sight in Ella and it offers plenty of fantastic Insta-shots from different photogenic angles. Capture the best images of this ancient wonder of the hill country to remember your visit forever.
3. Sigiriya
Lion rock or Sigiriya rock fortress is a world heritage site and the most famous tourist destination in Sri Lanka. It is one of the epic photogenic spots in Sri Lanka to capture iconic shots of ancient ruins. It calls the 8th wonder of the world due to its astounding beauty, historical significance, and dramatic features. The ancient ruins make it the most visited, incredible sight in Sri Lanka. It is one of the most Instagrammed spots and most recognizable iconic places in the country.
The Lion’s paws are carved out from the stone at the entrance of the Lion rock. A shot from there is completely Insta-worthy. The view from the top of giant Sigiriya rock is purely breathtaking. Many epic photo spots are located at the summit of the rock, from where you can capture amazing shots over the vast green jungle.
4. Pidurangala
Pidurangala Rock Temple is located adjacent to the Sigiriya. It is the best viewing spot to enjoy a panoramic view of Sigiriya. The height of Pidurangala rock is lower than Sigiriya and it is a fairly easy hike. Hiking Pidurangala needs less effort and time than Sigiriya. There is only a short section of climbing over rocks required at the end to complete the hike.
It is the best alternative spot to take gorgeous Instagram shots of Sigiriya and Surroundings. Pidurangala offers a wonderful 360-degree view of Sigiriya. It guarantees that your snaps will be more perfect and elegant from the angle of the Pidurangala summit. Your Instagram followers will be amazed by the stunning images taken at Pidurangala.
5. Coconut Tree Hill
Coconut Tree Hill or Palm Tree Grove is a beautiful hill lined with sky-high palm trees. It overlooks the stunning Mirissa Bay. Presumably, this is the most well-known Instagram hotspot in the area. Many visitors come to this gorgeous hill to catch the sunrise or sunset.
Since it is located around 1 km from Mirissa Beach, you need only a 10-15 min walk up the street to reach the coconut tree hill. You can access this place via the beach, but it would be difficult if the sea is rough.
This incredible palm tree grove is an epic natural wonder in the Mirissa beach area. As well as it is one of the best Instagrammable spots in Sri Lanka. There’s something special about the way the tall palm trees line up here, which makes it a beautiful and photogenic spot. It is a perfect place to watch the sunset and capture the best images of Mirissa Beach. with towering coconut trees.
6. Palm Tree Rope Swing
Swinging over the blue ocean during the sunset and capturing the most Instagrammable shot is one of the must-dos in everyone’s Sri Lanka bucket list. This iconic sunset Instagram swing is located at Dalawella, close to Unawatuna beach on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Dalawella beach is an awesome spot for a fun-filled afternoon and chill-out place to hang out and take that iconic Palm tree rope swing photo.
Capturing the colorful image of swinging the palm tree rope in the background of White sand, Blue Ocean, and fierce colors of the sky during the sunset will be a very exhilarating and truly memorable experience.
7. Frog Rock
Being an island, there are lots of incredible beaches everywhere on the coast of Sri Lanka. However, if you’re searching for the most Instagrammable ones, you’ll find them at Dalawella beach. This spot characterizes by a giant frog-shaped rock, called Frog Rock on the beach. Frog Rock is a place to visit at sunset for great pictures and it is an absolutely photogenic spot, perfect for Instagram.
With the background of palm trees, it has beautiful views over the ocean and it creates a pretty cool photo spot. There you can climb the giant rock and get photos with all the colors of the sunset beyond the horizon. It is an ideal place to take magnificent shots and a bigger picture that you might miss when you’re on the beach itself.
8. Giragama Tea Estate
Giragama (Geragama) is one of the premium tea plantations near Kandy. It’s about a 20-30 minute ride out of Kandy that winds through villages and countryside. The view of the Giragama tea estate is more spectacular than many other tea estates in the hill country near Nuwara Eliya or Ella. It has the perfectly manicured bushes of shimmering green tea leaves blanket the rolling countryside for miles.
You’ll get idyllic photographs of picturesque tea country, while it’s the best place to learn the tea-making process. The golden light filtering in through the tea bushes and smiling tea-plucking women in the tea estate is an iconic sight of Sri Lanka. The lush green tea all around and the overall green vibe is probably one of the perfect Instagrammable shots in the hill country.
9. Peradeniya Royal Palm Avenue
Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden is the largest garden in Kandy, Sri Lanka with 4,000 different species of plants spread over spacious 147 acres. There are more than 10,000 trees, which are the stars of this garden; some of them are hundreds of years old. It is home to the impressive and Insta-worthy avenue of Royal Palms. The perfectly landscaped and lined tall Royal Palm Avenue in Peradeniya Botanical Garden is an excellent photogenic sight for Instagram.
The towering royal palms are very elegant and the leaves are located high up and have the shape of a crown, hence it is called Royal Palm. This palm avenue is a perfectly cool photo spot and popular among visitors. There are two other rows of palm trees that line walkways at the gardens, called Cabbage Palm Avenue and Palmyra Palm Avenue, being the number one photogenic spot is the magnificent Royal Palm Avenue.
There are palmyra palm avenue and cabbage palm avenue in Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden. These two avenues are equally photogenic spots too.
10. Upper Diyaluma Waterfall
220 m high Diyaluma waterfall is the second-highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, located in Badulla. This is a majestic waterfall and the most impressive one among many waterfalls in the country. The upper Diyaluma Fall is home to epic views and some of the best natural infinity pools in the world. The water level drops during the dry months from December to March and you can enjoy a refreshing swim at the natural base pool.
There are a number of large natural rock pools at the upper Diyaluma Falls. It is possible to hike up to the top of the fall and have a dip in these rock pools. But you need to take precautions and think about safety before diving in. It’s the perfect spot where you can snap some beautiful Insta-shots, and then refresh yourself in the cool water.
In this post, we have pointed out the 10 epic natural photogenic spots in Sri Lanka. Although there are many other wonderful Instagrammable spots in Sri Lanka, here we have listed the best 10 natural wonders according to our choice. We hope to bring you the impressive and most Instagram-worthy temples, beautiful cultural landmarks, and monuments in future posts.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka, Images by Unsplash, Pixabay, and Wikimedia Commons. Copyrights reserved by original authors.
