Negombo

Negombo in the tropical Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka is a town of about 65,000, approximately 37 km north of the commercial Capital Colombo. It is famous for its beaches. Negombo is located at the mouth of the Negombo lagoon, only about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport which is the basis of the tourism industry the local economy now relies more on than its centuries old fishing industry from its old port.

Negombo is an ideal place for those who want quick access to and from the country's international airport which is only 7 kms away.  Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka. It attracts tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport.

Some quiet stretches of the Negombo beach are maintained by the tourist hotels such as the Jetwings owned Royal Oceanic Hotel and Blue Oceanic. These are two of the better 5 and 4 star hotels in a not very up market resort full of cheaper hotels and guest houses.

Other nearby beaches 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 (Kudapaduwa) that serves as an artificial reef for many varieties of fish.

Visitors should not miss a chance to take in the colonial history of Negombo even if the reason for their visit is the prospect of a sun drenched tropical beach holiday during the height of the European winter.. The name "Negombo" was first used by the Portuguese, a corruption of the Sinhala name Mīgamuva. It was a trading port long occupied by the Portuguese and also the Dutch - this may account for the predominant Catholic Christian faith of the people of the area. Negombo has been given the name "Little Rome" due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches like San Sebastian found within the township. The Katuwapitiya Church and the Grand Street Church are two biggest parishes in Negombo. "Agurukaramulla Pansala" is a famous Buddhist temple bringing Buddhists from all over Sri Lanka to Negombo every year.

The 100km long Dutch period Hamilton canal network running through the town is still used. Outrigger canoes and modern water-craft ply this route daily, for trade and tourist purposes. Remains of colonial era include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, administrative buildings, and churches.

Negombo is also home to the country's second-largest fish market, the Llelama, at the north end of the town's lagoon. There are daily fish auctions, which give tourists a chance to meet the area's colourful fisherman and even organise fishing trips into the lagoon and the ocean beyond. Other nearby attractions open to visitors include Muthurajawela, which part of the 14,826-acre protected marshland, home to over 190 species of wildlife.

The fishermen of the Negombo lagoon live in small, thatch palm 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. Fishing boats in Negombo are made in two distinct forms, oruvas (a type of sailing canoe) and paruvas (a large, man-powered catamaran fitted with kurlon dividers), and are said to have originated in the islands off the Mozambican coast; they were brought to Sri Lanka by Portuguese traders in the 17th century.

For generations the lagoon has provided the fishermen and now the tourist restaurants with a plentiful supply of crabs, shrimp and many of the native species of fish. In recent years, the villagers have supplemented the income earned from fishing by collecting toddy, or palm sap, which is used to brew the arrack so enjoyed by tourists.