Little Adam’s Peak

About this activity

Little Adam’s Peak is a cone-shaped hill just outside Ella, named after Sri Lanka’s much larger and more famous Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) because of its similar pointed shape, though it is a fraction of the size and needs no pilgrimage-style climb. Its local name, Punchi Shri Padhaya, means roughly the same thing in Sinhala — “little sacred foot.”

The path climbs gently through working tea plantations on well-maintained steps and walkways, with the town of Ella falling away behind you. Along the ridge are three small rounded summits; most visitors walk to the third and highest one for the full view. From the top, on a clear day, you can see across the valley to Ella Rock and the distinctive gap in the hills known as Ella Gap.

At about 1,141 metres above sea level, and starting from an already-high town, the actual climb is gentle compared with its name’s famous namesake. Most people manage it in under an hour each way, which is why it is such a popular spot to watch the sunset — arrive with enough time before dusk, and allow for a careful walk back down, since the path can be dark afterwards.