Negombo
Negombo is a modest beach town located close to Bandaranaike International Airport. With a stash of decent hotels and restaurants to suit all pockets, a friendly local community, an interesting old quarter and a reasonable (though polluted) beach, Negombo is a much easier place to get your Sri Lankan feet than Colombo.
The Dutch captured the town from the Portuguese in 1640, lost it, and then captured it again in 1644. The British then took it from them in 1796 without a struggle. Negombo was one of the most important sources of cinnamon during the Dutch era, and there are still reminders of the European days.
The busy centre of Negombo town lies to the west of the bus and train stations. Most places to stay, however, line the main road that heads north from the town centre, running almost parallel to the beach.
Negombo is located approximately 37 km north of the commercial capital of Colombo in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo lagoon. The major beach resort in the West Coast is Negombo. The wide sandy beaches and the safe sea are the main attractions of Negombo and it is perfectly located within 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka.
Negombo has a small port, and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry. Negombo is a traditional fishing town in Sri Lanka, and no wonder the town is a gourmet food lover’s paradise with seafood available in plenty. Negombo also produces spices, ceramics and brassware. The town has a majority of Roman Catholics along with Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims while it has been given the name “Little Rome” due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches found within the township. The town has several buildings that date back to the Dutch and Portuguese colonial era. Attractions in the city include the old Dutch fort gate built in 1672 now a part of the prison, the Dutch Canal which was then a supply route to the Dutch administration, old churches and fishing villages.
The 100km long canal running through the town is still being used and is an attraction for those who want to see the country from a different perspective.
The Katuwapitiya Church and the Grand Street Church are the two biggest parishes in Negombo. “Agurukaramulla temple” is a famous Buddhist temple bringing Buddhists from all over Sri Lanka to Negombo every year.
The wide sandy beaches and the safe sea are the major tourist attractions of Negombo, while many tourists use the town for the first or the last night of their stay in Sri Lanka. Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and draws tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport. Several hotels ranging from luxury hotels to budget hotels, guest houses and restaurants are available in Negombo. Some quiet stretches of the beach are maintained by the tourist hotels, while others are always busy with fisherman and their equipment. Water-sports and diving are also extremely popular among visitors, with a few well preserved coral reefs and a 50 year old shipwreck that serves as an artificial reef for many varieties of fish. There are also local handicraft sales on the beaches and the shops near the town.
