Moonstone Mines

Hikkaduwa & Around

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Have you ever wondered where that pretty little moonstone on your finger actually comes from? Head inland 7km to Mitiyagoda and you can descend (not literally) into the mucky world of mining – 18th-century style! Moonstone has been mined in these sweltering forests forever and the moonstone mines, little more than muddy rabbit holes, 6m or 7m long, are fascinating – as is the process of filtering out the precious stones and polishing them ready for sale.

Entrance is free, but expect a hardcore sales pitch in the on-site shop afterwards. To get there head towards Kahawa and turn inland to Mitiyagoda, after which it’s clearly signed.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Tea tasting in the he Handunugoda Tea Estate and Tea Museum.

    Handunugoda Tea Estate

    22.32 MILES

    This exquisite tea plantation in the hills above Koggala offers (free) highly informative tours of the estate. You'll sample and learn how they produce…

  • Old fort, Galle, Sri Lanka

    Flag Rock

    14.57 MILES

    Flag Rock, at the southernmost end of the Fort, was once a Portuguese bastion. Today it is easily the most popular place to catch a sunset. During…

  • Dutch Reformed Church in the Fort Galle.

    Dutch Reformed Church

    14.29 MILES

    Originally built in 1640, the present building dates from 1752. Its floor is paved with gravestones from Dutch cemeteries, while other impressive features…

  • Tuk tuk drives through the entrance of the old Dutch gate with British Coat of Arms above.

    Old Gate

    14.36 MILES

    A beautifully carved British coat of arms tops the entrance to the Old Gate on the outer side. Inside, the letters VOC, standing for Verenigde…

  • Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum

    Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Art Museum

    21.39 MILES

    This interesting museum includes the house where respected Sinhalese author Martin Wickramasinghe (1890–1976) was born (the traditional southern structure…

  • Tsunami Memorial

    Tsunami Memorial

    2.38 MILES

    This small monument remembers the 35,000 people who lost their lives just in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami and the hundreds of thousands of others…

  • A beautifully coloured Agamid lizard in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka

    Sinharaja Forest Reserve

    28.86 MILES

    The Sinharaja (Lion King) rainforests occupy a broad ridge at the heart of the island’s wet zone. The only way to get about the reserve is by foot, and…

  • Brief Gardens, Home of Bevis Bawa.

    Brief Garden

    18.23 MILES

    You'll find the Brief Garden 10 kilometres inland from Bentota. A barely controlled riot of a garden out of The Jungle Book, the grounds are a lovely…

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Nearby Hikkaduwa & Around attractions

1. Tsunami Photo Museum

2.18 MILES

This ramshackle, private museum 3.5km north of Hikkaduwa tells the story through photographs and newspaper features of that dreadful day in 2004 when the…

2. Tsunami Education Centre and Museum

2.2 MILES

This locally run centre focuses on tsunami education for locals, but also has some dramatic and harrowing photos of the 2004 tsunami, including some of…

3. Tsunami Memorial

2.38 MILES

This small monument remembers the 35,000 people who lost their lives just in Sri Lanka during the 2004 tsunami and the hundreds of thousands of others…

4. Tsunami Honganji Vihara

2.51 MILES

Right on the coast north of Hikkaduwa is this statue of a standing Buddha facing the waves with his hands in the abhaya mudra (Buddha pose conveying…

5. Seenigama Vihara

3.04 MILES

About 2km north of Hikkaduwa is the Seenigama Vihara, perched on its own island. It’s one of only two temples in the country where victims of theft can…

6. Hikkaduwa Lake

3.95 MILES

Hikkaduwa Lake, with its monitor lizards and numerous birds, makes for a pleasant excursion away from the beach. Boat tours can sometimes be organised on…

7. Gangarama Maha Vihara

4.18 MILES

This interesting Buddhist temple has lots of popular educational paintings that are the work of one man over nearly a decade. The monks are happy to show…

8. Hikkaduwa National Park

4.3 MILES

Hikkaduwa’s marine park stretches along the northern end of the beach and is an easy way to get a glimpse of some of Sri Lanka's undersea life…

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  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Sri-Lanka",
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