The coastal city of Negombo in Gampaha district is the northern bordering city in the Western Province (WP). Only 7km north of Katunayake International Airport, Negombo is linked by road to the Colombo capital and main cities such as Kurunegala and Chilaw. Through the centre of the city runs the Colombo-Chilaw rail road.
Negombo is a hive of economic activity, with its large town, fisheries harbor and historical fish landing sites. Fishing is the main livelihood making the city famous for delicious fresh fish, lagoon prawns, lobsters and crabs which have been tourist delights over the years. The fisheries harbor and fish landing sites with old-world fishing craft like the outrigger canoes and the catamarans along the lagoon are beautiful sights for you to watch in the wee hours of the morning and at dusk.
The Negombo beach was Sri Lanka’s first beach resort. It is an ideal place to start or end your holiday in this little island. Negombo offers a great selection of hotels and guest houses ranging from budget resorts to 5* hotels, excellent restaurants and bars adorning the beaches, well stocked supermarkets, shopping arcades and many water sport facilities. Negombo, called “the Little Rome” is predominantly a Roman Catholic area with a large number of historical churches coming down from Portuguese times. Used by the Portuguese, Dutch and British as main export harbor for cinnamon, you still can see several historical buildings.
There are many ways to explore Negombo but one of the most commendable ways is by traveling along the many canals which connect the Negombo lagoon and the sea.