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Negombo
Negombo (, , , ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome) and Meepura (city of bees), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, from Colombo via the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway and the nearest major city from the Bandaranaike International Airport (about 9 km distance).
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Place details
- Locality
- Negombo
- Region
- Western Province
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Population
- 137,223
Travel guide
Understand
The 100-km-long canal network running through the city is still used, and outrigger canoes and modern water-craft ply this route daily, for trade and tourist purposes. 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. Negombo is the centre of Sri Lanka's Catholic community, and you can expect to see many churches during a visit.
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 include the Muthurajawela marshland, which is part.
See
thumb|right|Canal in Negombo Negombo is a holiday destination itself, but far less attractive than it used to be. It's not really worth it staying here, except as a convenient stopover on your way to or from the airport. If you need airport accommodation but don't care about the beach, there are many accommodation options closer to the airport than Negombo.
Things to see im Negombo include: The canals
Do
thumb|right|Negombo Beach
Boat rides in shallow waters of the Negombo lagoon. Tours can be organized by most of the hotels, several tour agencies can be found in the hotel area near the beach. Streak along the wide sandy beaches. Unfortunately the beaches are quite dirty due to rubbish and (stray) dog poo. Nevertheless the sheer size of Negombo's beach strip makes it worth a walk, especially in the evening hours when hundreds of locals gather near the old water park to fly their kites (some of them of quite impressive size). During these hours you will also find several booths at the beach offering various cheap deep fried snacks. Handicraft and other gift shopping. Diving. There are two diving centres along the main strip, with boats departing from the beach, and roughly 30 dive sites.
Buy
Negombo used to be a major producer of cinnamon. While the trade has moved on, you can still find local cinnamon and vanilla for sale at roadside shops.
Souvenir shops sell Sri Lankan handicrafts such as jewellery with local gems, batik, etc.
~22 min read
Article
28 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Pre-colonialism
- Portuguese Ceylon
- Dutch Ceylon
- British Ceylon
- Geography
- Climate
- Zones
- Neighbourhoods
- Negombo Lagoon
- Demographics
- Religion
- Catholic and Christian churches
- Hindu Kovil (Hindu temples)
- Muslim Masjid (mosques)
- Local government
- Economy
- Transport
- Education
- Notable people
- During British Ceylon
- During Dominion Ceylon
- During Republic of Sri Lanka
- See also
- References
- Notes
- External links
Negombo (, , , ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome) and Meepura (city of bees), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, from Colombo via the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway and the nearest major city from the Bandaranaike International Airport (about 9 km distance).
Negombo is one of the major commercial hubs in the country and the administrative centre of Negombo Division. Negombo has a population of about 142,136 within its divisional secretariat division. Negombo municipal boundary is fully extended throughout its Divisional Secretariat area.
Gallery (21)
On the map
2 mapped locations