Bopath Ella is located in a village named Agalwatte in Kuruwita in the Ratnapura District of Sri Lanka.

The water flows through a narrow gap in the rocks and then widens, forming the shape of a leaf of a "Bo"[1] tree which is the Sinhalese name for sacred fig (Ficus religiosa).

[1] Its mean rate of flow is 6 square metres (65 sq ft) per second, and its catchment area receives an average rainfall of 5,080 millimetres (200 in) annually.

[4] Bopath Ella is a major tourist attraction in Sri Lanka, since it is not far from the capital, Colombo, and is easily accessible.

Another popular belief among the locals is that there is an ancient treasure trove hidden in the waterfall, and that one thousand human sacrifices are required to get it.