Negombo
Negombo
Negombo is full of churches. Ornate Buddhist temples, Hindus Shrines, Christian’s churches and Muslims mosque testify to the spiritual harmony of a cosmopolitan community speak all the three languages English, Sinhala and Tamil. The locals were so successfully converted to Catholicism by the Europeans, that the town is called `Little Rome`.
With a stash of decent hotels and restaurants to suit all pockets, an interesting old quarter and a reasonable beach. Most hotels and guesthouses are located at the main road that heads north from the town centre, going parallel to the beach. If you are a loner of Sea food, you have arrived at a right place. The ocean and the lagoon provide the delicious and the Negombo fish market has no equal to any fish market in Sri Lanka.
Highlights of Negombo:
St. Mary’s Church in Negombo
The coastal town of Negombo is an area in Sri Lanka that is dominated heavily by the Christian Faith and one of the town’s most important structures is St. Mary’s Church. This holy building is lavish and grand in nature, standing tall amidst other structure in the town. The church consists of three main levels which are immediately apparent when approaching the structure from the front.
Fishing in Negombo Lagoon & Fishing village
Negombo is a traditional fishing town of Sri Lanka. The fishermen of the Negombo lagoon live in abject poverty in small, thatched palm houses in villages on the water’s edge. They rely on traditional knowledge of the seasons for their livelihood, using outrigger canoes carved out of tree trunks and nylon nets to bring in modest catches from September through till April.
Negombo is also home to the country’s second-largest fish market, the “Lellama”, at the north end of the town’s lagoon. There are daily fish auctions, which give tourists a chance to meet the area’s fishermen and even organise fishing trips into the lagoon and the ocean beyond. Other nearby attractions open to visitors includes Muthurajawela marshland, which is part.
Being a coastal town, Negombo is housed to thousands of fisherman who actively take part in fishing on a daily basis. The excess catch is being dried & preserved using indigenous technologies. One can visit the area where locals are busy with drying fish & packing them. Well the smell is a part of the experience.
Negombo is a modest beach town located just 10km from Bandaranaike International Airport.Negombo is frequently where tourists spend their first day or two in Sri Lanka resting up after a long and exhausting plane ride. Holiday in Negombo will give you both multiple pleasure and value.
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 once one of the most important sources of cinnamon during the Dutch era, and there are still reminders of the European days. Remains of colonization include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, Administrative buildings, Churches and the ceiling frescoes of St. Mary’s cathedral church.
Ornate Buddhist temples, Hindus Shrines, Christian’s churches and Muslims mosque testify to the spiritual harmony of a cosmopolitan community speak all the three languages English, Sinhala and Tamil.
The facilities for swimming, snorkeling, driving, wind surfing, deep sea fishing and scuba diving. The Negombo lagoon, the sea, the scenic beaches and a large polyglot community inflects the essence of the ultimate Sri Lanka holiday experience. The Dutch canal crossing the heart of Negombo is ideal for making a boat trip. The Dutch canal is the boat house for many thousand fishing boats.
Dutch Fort in Negombo
One of the most distinct tourist attractions in Negombo is undeniably the Old Dutch Fort. This is a structure that goes back to Sri lanka’s colonial days when the nation was once under the rule of the Portuguese and then the Dutch. The city was encircled by an earth wall. Eventually the landmass on which the Old Dutch Fort Gate was constructed was regularly washed by the sea.
Negombo Beach
Negombo is a beautiful beach resort on the western coast of Sri Lanka. The wide sandy beaches and the safe sea are the major tourist attractions of Negombo bringing locals and tourists to enjoy a memorable beach holiday.
Negombo Lagoon
The Negombo Lagoon covers an area of 3164 hectares. It is situated some 40 km north of Colombo. The Lagoon is part of the much larger Muthurawajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon coastal wetland.