St Clair’s Waterfall, also called “St. Clair’s Falls,” is an incredible waterfall in the Thalawakele area of Sri Lanka. It is considered one of the widest waterfalls on the island. Some call this the “Little Niagara of Sri Lanka.” This is actually an iconic waterfall that reveals the beauty of Sri Lanka to the world.
Location:
St. Clair’s waterfall is located on the western side of Thalawakele town in the Nuwara Eliya District. You can observe this beautiful waterfall during your travels via the Hatton–Nuwara Eliya main road. The distance to the waterfall from Kandy is about 71 km, and from Colombo, it is about 145 km. Those traveling from Kandy can first go to Nawalapitiya and then take the Kotmale road to get here. Travelers who start their journey in Colombo can come here via Hatton. The distance between Nuwara Eliya City and St. Clair’s Falls is about 26 kilometers. If you travel here by train, you need to drop off at the Talawakele railway station. It’s not difficult for anyone to find this place.
St. Clair’s Falls View
This is actually a nice waterfall to watch. It’s so beautiful. There is a separate place to watch the waterfall from the road. You can park your vehicles and enjoy the marvels of the picture. St. Clair Falls is considered the 20th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. It is made up of two drops. The upper part is called “Maha Ella,” with 80 meters in height. With a 50-meter height, the bottom section is known as “Kuda Ella. ” Finally, the water drops into a larger pool that you cannot reach easily. It’s difficult to reach the waterfall, and you need to walk through a “Mana” forest. St. Clair’s Waterfall is formed by Kotmale Oya. It’s a main branch of the Mahaweli River. The elevation of the fall is 1076 m.
Other Facts About St. Clair’s Waterfall
Waterfall recorded a significant amount of water loss due to the effect of the Upper Kotmale Power Plant. The power station is situated near the town of Talawakele and was formed by making a dam across Kotmale Oya.
St.Clair Tea Estate
The waterfall and its surrounding tea estates are managed by the St. Clair Tea Estate. The estate was established in the 1870s by the British Empire. You can enjoy the taste of an estate teacup in the St. Clair Tea Center, which is situated near the waterfall.
Devon Falls is another beautiful waterfall that you can observe on the Hatton-Nuwara Eliya Road next to St Clair’s Waterfall.
(Cover Image Credit: Kasun Gardiarachchi )