The lowest section inside the Sigiriya complex is a beautifully landscaped area dotted with water gardens, then as you approach the rock its foothills contain boulder gardens (home to numerous Buddhist shrines) and terraced gardens. It’s a beautiful place to explore away from the crowds (but perhaps better to experience at leisure after you've completed the hard yards of ascent and descent). Find a quiet spot and listen to the gentle gurgle of water and the songs of birds.
From the main entrance you pass symmetrical water gardens , which extend from the foot of the rock; bathing pools, little islands with pavilions that were used as dry-season palaces, and trees.
The boulder gardens , closer to the rock itself, feature rocks that once formed the bases of buildings. The steplike depressions in the sides of boulders were the foundations of brick walls and timber columns. The cistern and audience-hall rocks are impressive.
The rock rises sheer and mysterious from the jungle. A series of steps leads up through the boulders at its base to the western face, and then ascends it steeply.
The base of Sigiriya has been landscaped to produce the terraced gardens .
