Negombo
Dubbed Sri Lanka’s ‘Little Rome’, this beach town located just a few kilometers away from the Bandaranaike International Airport is full of surprises for wanderlusts. Negombo is a perfect choice to spend a few days in the company of the sun and sand. The diverse array of restaurants, pubs and accommodation choices this metropolis offer is a perfect reflection of this beach-town’s exultant vibe. It is also a historically interesting location owing to the strains of Dutch-influenced architecture that remain intact in the town’s landscape, not to mention the ancient Dutch Fort as well as several churches constructed during the Dutch Colonial era that are thronged by pilgrims daily.
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.
