Must-see lake · Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Nilavarai (Bottomless well)
Nilavarai (Bottomless well) is a lake in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
Nilavarai (Bottomless well): crowds and conditions
Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Been there recently? Post today’s status and it shows here for the next traveller.
Status options for this lake: Full / gates open · Low water level · Entry closed.
Best time to visit Nilavarai (Bottomless well)
Season: August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open.
Busiest days: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.
Crowd: Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
Typical week: Mon busy · Tue light · Wed light · Thu light · Fri busy · Sat packed · Sun packed.
How to reach Nilavarai (Bottomless well) — distance from nearby cities
- From Jaffna (LK): about 16 km by road (12 km straight line) · directions · more places near Jaffna
- From Anuradhapura (LK): about 205 km by road (164 km straight line) · directions · more places near Anuradhapura
- From Trincomalee (LK): about 224 km by road (179 km straight line) · directions · more places near Trincomalee
- From Sigiriya (LK): about 266 km by road (213 km straight line) · directions · more places near Sigiriya
- From Dambulla (LK): about 273 km by road (218 km straight line) · directions · more places near Dambulla
Coordinates: 9.75435, 80.08830. Road distances are estimates; the road-trip planner uses real routes and adds stops worth the detour.
Places to visit near Nilavarai (Bottomless well)
- Uppu Aru Lagoon · lake · Jaffna · ~8 km · Must-see
- Kantharodai Archaeological Site - Kantharodai · fort · Jaffna · ~11 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- Keerimalai Naguleswaram Temple · temple · Jaffna · ~13 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil · temple · Jaffna · ~14 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- St. Mary's Cathedral Jaffna · church · Jaffna · ~16 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- Dutch Fort · fort · Jaffna · ~17 km · Well liked · Must-see
- Ellalan Jaffna Tourism & Adventures · attraction · Jaffna · ~17 km · Well liked · Must-see
- Dambakolapatuna Sri Sangamiththa Buddhist Temple · Buddhist site · Jaffna · ~20 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- Karaitivu · river spot · Jaffna · ~29 km · Must-see
- Fort Hammenhiel · fort · Jaffna · ~33 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- Eluvaitivu · river spot · Jaffna · ~39 km · Must-see
- Jaffna Lagoon · beach · Kilinochchi · ~41 km · Must-see
- Nainativu Nagapooshani Amman Kovil · temple · Jaffna · ~47 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- Nagadeepa Temple · temple · Jaffna · ~47 km · Highly rated · Must-see
- Palk Bay · beach · Kilinochchi · ~68 km · Must-see
- Nilavarai, Natural underground water well · fort · Jaffna · ~0 km · Well liked
- Thellippalai Sri Durga Devi Temple · temple · Jaffna · ~9 km · Highly rated
- Tissa Rajamaha Viharaya · Buddhist site · Jaffna · ~9 km · Highly rated
See everything within a day’s drive of Nilavarai (Bottomless well)
Other lakes, dams & reservoirs near Nilavarai (Bottomless well)
- Uppu Aru Lagoon · lake · Jaffna · ~8 km · Must-see
- Iranaimadu Tank · lake · Kilinochchi · ~79 km · Must-see
- Vavuni Kulam · lake · Mullaitivu · ~100 km · Must-see
- Muththaiyan kaddu kulam · lake · Mullaitivu · ~105 km · Must-see
- Akkarayan - Unionkulam Tree Cloud Photoshoot · lake · Kilinochchi · ~66 km
- Akkarayan Kulam · lake · Kilinochchi · ~71 km
- Periyakulam · lake · Vavuniya · ~129 km
- Kattarsinnakulam · lake · Vavuniya · ~149 km
- Thondaimanaru · lake · Jaffna · ~10 km
- Navatkuli Bridge and Dam · lake · Jaffna · ~13 km
Wikipedia · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Frequently asked
Is Nilavarai (Bottomless well) full? Are the gates open?
No visitor has reported the water level status for Nilavarai (Bottomless well) yet. Typical pattern: heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning. Busiest: Weekends, public holidays, Sankranti and Dasara breaks.
What is the best time to visit Nilavarai (Bottomless well)?
August to December when reservoirs are full and gates may open. Heavy on weekends and holidays; arrive early morning.
How far is Nilavarai (Bottomless well) from Jaffna?
Nilavarai (Bottomless well) is about 16 km by road from Jaffna (12 km straight line), 205 km from Anuradhapura and 224 km from Trincomalee. Open the road-trip planner on Spotwander for turn-by-turn directions and stops on the way.
What are the places to visit near Nilavarai (Bottomless well)?
Nearby: Uppu Aru Lagoon (lake, 8 km), Kantharodai Archaeological Site - Kantharodai (fort, 11 km), Keerimalai Naguleswaram Temple (temple, 13 km), Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil (temple, 14 km), St. Mary's Cathedral Jaffna (church, 16 km), Dutch Fort (fort, 17 km).
Is Nilavarai (Bottomless well) worth visiting?
Nilavarai (Bottomless well) is listed as a must-see lake in Sri Lanka on Spotwander.