Negambo, also known as Little Rome in Sri Lanka, is situated 38km away from the central city of Colombo.

If you travel by taxi and use the Colombo—Katunayake Highway, a journey to Negambo can take nearly one hour. Alternatively, you can travel by train to Negambo within two to three hours.

People love to call this beautiful tourist destination Little Rome because of the catholic background and believers in this area. The canals, lagoons, architecture, churches, and some Italians speak more about establishing the statement.

Negombo Beach

Most tourists like to spend their time near the famous Negombo beach. Close to the beach, knowing hotels, restaurants, and resting places with tourist areas can see.

December is the busiest tourist season in this area; it is always full of local and foreign tourists celebrating iteratively and religiously.

If you plan to stay or travel to Negombo this season, it is better to book and arrange your tour and the hotels very early; as usual, prices can be way higher than the other days, including the different services.

Like another beach in Sri Lanka, Negombo Beach is unique and beautiful. Activities include snorkeling, boat rides, fishing, and beach musical parties. Diving is a particular activity in this area, and many tourists only come for that.

Diving schools can also be found near the beach, offering diving instruments and informational guides. If you dive into Negombo, you can see old sunk boats, ships, and luxury vehicles that fell there.

Negombo Beach is also famous for seafood; most people like to taste seafood baskets or shuffles. Different varieties of seafood are cooked and fried with other species, making it more enjoyable for any seafood lover to take the test.

Negombo St. Mary’s Church

St. Mary’s Church: Most Sri Lankans and tourists visit this church without religious differences. Evening prayer is a special event in this church; most participate in Sunday service.

The service conducts English, Sihlaha, and Tamil sessions. This beautiful church was built with Portuguese and Dutch influence, architecture, and paintings.

White and yellow colors, tall walls, and colorful marble give it an attractive and rich look. The church is situated in Negombo City, and there are some other churches around this church.

Negombo Dutch Fort.

Negombo Dutch Fort is near Negombo City and is home to the famous fish market. The Portuguese first built this Dutch port in the 15th century.

After the Portuguese, the Dutch expanded and developed the Fort in the 16th century, and finally, the English used it as a prison.

Still today, we can see strong stone walls and the entrance gate, 1678, in a large-grained inscription by the Dutch above the arch wall on the north and south sides.

A Stone Clocktower was also built in the English era to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. Entrance is free, and the best time to visit is 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Negombo Fish Market.

The Negombo fish market is busy every morning because most fishermen bring their fish to salle. If you visit there in the morning, you can see people bargaining with fishermen and buying fish.

Most fishermen are allowed to take photos with fish, and some ask for money to take the pictures. You can see big fish to small fish, such as tuna, mackerel, squid, sardines, and sharks.

Publish holidays, sometimes the market is closed, and you can visit there for free. Also, next to the fish market, you can see the dry fish market, operated by some fishermen.

Dryfish Market – Negombo

From there, you can see many small fish lying in the sun before adding salt and shipping. You can also take photos and learn about drying fish techniques.

Negombo Lagoon

The place is situated near Negombo City. Most tourists visit to take photos and go on a boat ride.

Negombo Lagoon is made up of many small canals that connect to the Indian Ocean. Most of the time, the Lagoon is full of flying boats on both sides.

Riding the boats is also popular, and they offer different packages, such as private tours, tours with the group, one-hour, two-hour, or more. You can select what is best for you at your convenience.

On the tour, you can see plants, trees, mangroves, fish, birds, and crocodiles, among other things.

Most tourists like to have dinner near the Lagoon with seafood dishes. The fried seafood platter is the most popular, and jumbo shrimp, prons, crabs, and other seafood are also more delicious dishes in this area.

References

Gabriella Kim old channel. (2022, July 18). Best places to visit in Negombo, Sri Lanka | TRAVEL VLOG 🌴 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubOxWPiiPEY

Jellie, A. O. (2024, March 31). Negombo – Our guide to things to do — Adventures of Jellie. Adventures of Jellie. https://www.adventuresofjellie.com/sri-lanka/ourguidetonegombo

Negombo Lagoon | Things to do, wildlife, shopping @Holidify. (n.d.). https://www.holidify.com/places/negombo/negombo-lagoon-sri-lanka-sightseeing-1255376.html

Visit Negombo on a trip to Sri Lanka | Audley Travel UK. (2023, September 13). Audley Travel. https://www.audleytravel.com/sri-lanka/places-to-go/negombo

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, June 7). Negombo. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negombo