Places like Negombo attract many tourists to Sri Lanka. Stimulating you to find the most wanted subjects at Negombo you will find a great place to spend your holidays. Negombo so called as ‘Punchi Romaya’ (Little Rome) is located 35 km away from Colombo. The unspoiled beach mouthed to the Negombo lagoon is cleaned by the authorities every day. Therefore almost a clean and neat beach is offered to the tourists. Further, it is concerned as the most interesting beaches in West coast of Sri Lanka. The wide sandy beach and the safe sea draw many tourists. Nevertheless, the economy of Negombo is based on Tourism. Negombo was used by Dutch, Portuguese and Britains as an export harbor of cinnamon. For about couple of centuries ago, Negombo was used by many foreign traders and businessmen.
The Old Dutch Fort built by Dutch in 1672 is now a part of the prison. Over 190 species of wildlife birds and animals are living around Negombo district. You can feel a tropical monsoon climate at Negombo.
Since there are many Roman Catholic churches the majority is Roman Catholics. St. Sebastian's church, St. Mary’s church, the Anglican church came into play, Christian faith of Sri Lanka. The ceiling frescoes in St. Mary's Church is fantastic. Any way Buddhists and Muslims are considered as a minority of Negombo. Some tourists prefer to have diving, snorkeling and water sports in the sea. A ruined ship wretch and a small preserved coral reef can be seen under the sea. Nice fishing boat scenery can be seen while walking along the beach. At evening it gets more beautiful by means of the sunset. Negombo lagoon has a stretched variety of mangrove swamps. It is an area about 3165 hectares. The city is very famous for its traditional fishing industry. Most of the fishermen are faced with poverty. They live in shanties on the water’s edge. ‘Oruva’, ‘paruwa’ and catamarans are used by the fishermen. The fish market is a good place to know about the fishing industry. All most all the day a part of the beach is comprised of shrimps, lobsters, cuttle fish and dry fish.
Tourists can buy batiks, jewelry, and handicrafts from the shops of Negombo. In wanting to relax at beachside after or before your flight you can visit the Negombo beach. Few luxurious hotels and restaurants are located on the beach terrace. Therefore it gets heavy crowded on weekends and holidays.