What to See and Do in Negombo, Sri Lanka.

St Mary's Church Negombo

Negombo has been influenced greatly by the Christian faith from the time it was occupied by the Portuguese. Negombo has been given the name Little Rome due to its large number of highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches.

St Mary's Church
The beautiful St Mary's Church is located in the Town Centre of Negombo.

St Mary's Church Negombo

Construction of the Church was started in 1874 and completed in 1922. The art and architecture of this church show the cultural amalgamation of the European practice with Sri Lankan art and architecture during the early years of the 20th century. The Church has columns and plain walls.

The Church ceilings showcase the artwork on the ceilings by a famous local artist – N.S. Godamanne, a local Buddhist painter.  I even spotted a kangaroo painted on one of the ceiling murals. The walls at the upper level are fixed with sculptures of religious saints. The altar was imported from Europe.
https://www.facebook.com/StMarysChurchNegombo/

Negombo Beach.
Photo Credit Luca Gorlero

Negombo Beach

Negombo's beach stretches north from the town right along the hotel strip before fading into a palm-tree distance. It is ok to swim in or pleasant to walk along the sands and palm trees on the beach. Many hotels and resorts have direct access to the beach. 

Drying Fish on Negombo Beach

Fish Markets
If you have time, an early morning visit to one of Negombo's Fish Markets is worthwhile. Each day fishermen take their oruvas (outrigger canoes) and go out to the open sea in search for fish. They are good to see as they come into the lagoon after a fishing trip. It is worthwhile staying on to see the fish auctions on the beach and sales at the fish market near the fort.

Negombo is at the northern end of a lagoon that is renowned for its lobsters, crabs and prawns. Across the lagoon bridge is Negombo's second fish market. If you are up early at 6am it is a good place to watch big fishing boats return.

Dutch Clock Tower. Credit: Z thomas

Dutch Fort
The ruins of the old Dutch fort are near the seafront near the lagoon mouth. The Dutch rebuilt the original  Portuguese Fort in 1672. In the late 1800s the British authorities decided to demolish the fort and build a prison in its place, constructed from the stones of the fort.

Today all that remains is a section of the eastern rampart with mounds at its northern and Southern ends, where the previous bastions existed, the Dutch Clock Tower, and a recessed arched gateway inscribed with the date 1678. 

Also here is a green, called the Esplanade, where cricket matches are a big attraction. The fort grounds are now occupied by the town’s prison.

Hamilton Canal. Photo Credit: Tbachner

Hamilton Canal

The early Dutch settlers showed their love of canals in Sri Lanka. Canals can be seen extending from Negombo all the way south to Colombo and north to Puttalam, a total distance of over 120km. You can hire a bicycle in Negombo from various hotels and ride the canal-side paths of the Hamilton Canal, also known as the Dutch Canal, enjoying picturesque views and small villages along the way. The Hamilton Canal was constructed by the British in 1802 and completed in 1804 and was named after Gavin Hamilton, the Government Agent of Revenue and Commerce.

Guruge Nature Park

Guruge Park

Guruge Park is the first theme park in the country that not only has fun and exciting rides but also depicts the rich history of the country that dates back to 547 B.C. This park also has unlimited amusement rides, indoor games and a big water park.   

Guruge Park

The Guruge Park has a Jurassic Park section where one can go on an epic adventure and step right into the lost world of the dinosaurs. There are exact replicas of Velociraptors, Tyrannosaurus, Alamosaurus and much more with realistic light and sound effects making the dinosaurs come to life.

Guruge Park

Mayan Water Park has gorgeous light shows where guests can enjoy several water activities with colourful lights, beautiful flora and playful fountains.

The park even has a reconstruction of an ancient Sri Lankan village that houses several antique hunting tools. It has a Gem Museum, a replica of Adam’s Peak and a themed train ride too.  https://gurugepark.com/index.php

Tours

There are many day and half-day tours you can do in Negombo. There are various sorts of tours, such as City Tours, Fishing Tours and History Tours. I spotted a 2-hour Lagoon Boat Tour which includes transfers from your hotel to the Lagoon and back for $12.