Trincomalee · Hot wells

Kanniya Hot Springs

Seven small square wells of warm spring water about 10 km from Trincomalee, tied by legend to Ravana, and an easy half-hour stop rather than a destination.

Facts checked · 10 October 2026Dates, dimensions and history on this page were reviewed against the public sources named in the text; where sources disagree, the page says so. Drive times and prices come from our own routes and rates, and are approximate.

The place

What Kanniya Hot Springs actually is

Kanniya Hot Springs is a group of seven shallow wells, set out in a square, near Trincomalee. Each is only three to four feet deep with a clear bottom, and the temperature varies from well to well. Do not confuse it with Kinniya, a separate town: Kanniya is the one on the road about 10 km from Trincomalee.

The local story is that Ravana, the Ramayana’s demon king, struck the ground with his sword to make water for his mother’s funeral rites, and that hot water rose at those spots. The site is also an archaeological protected monument, gazetted in September 2011, with ruins of an Anuradhapura-period Buddhist monastery nearby, and a kovil beside it.

You come to wet your feet or pour a bucket over your shoulders, not for a spa. It is small, crowded at midday and often visited as a stop between Trincomalee and the road inland. Plan on thirty minutes.

What to look for

Worth your attention

The seven wells

Square stone-walled pools, each different in warmth. Try several, since the temperatures differ.

The Ravana legend

Information boards tell the story of the sword and the springs. Take it as folklore.

The ruins

Remnants of the monastery complex and stupa mound within the protected area, damaged during the war, so modest.

The nearby kovil

A small Hindu shrine adjoins the wells and is part of how locals use the place.

Straight advice

Before you go

Do this

Go early or late to avoid the midday crowd
Bring a towel and a small container for the buckets
Try more than one well; temperatures differ
Combine it with Koneswaram and Fort Frederick on the same day
Carry small notes for the gate

Know this first

Soap and shampoo are not allowed
Wells can run low when many people bathe, so buckets are rationed
Facilities are basic and the site is busy with local visitors
Health claims for skin and joints are local belief, not proven

Where it fits

Getting to Kanniya Hot Springs

Most people see Kanniya Hot Springs as part of a stay around Trincomalee. Our Trincomalee guide covers where to stay, how long to give it and what else is nearby. It is also listed in our Nilaveli guide.

Coming straight from the airport, the relevant run is Colombo Airport to Trincomalee — fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting inside arrivals with a name board.

Read the full Trincomalee guide

From Colombo Airport

Airport → TrincomaleeUS$ 115

Journey time5 – 5.5 hrs

Distance250 km

Car up to 3 passengers; vans quoted on the route page. No night surcharge.

Good to know