Beautiful Places to Visit in Negombo—Star of the West Coast

This beach stretches towards the north of the island beginning near the well-developed town. The place is a wide sandy bank for chilling, sunbathing and swimming. There are huge wooden canoes beached along the sands, resting before they are taken out by the fisher folk for another round of fishing. Take along the cameras because the beach is a lovely mix of old and new, especially the stretches that run along the fisher villages where you will find the catch of the day spread along the sand as auctions are conducted to sell fresh seafood. Most 5-star hotels in Negombo are located along the beach, making it easy to amble out to the shores whenever you fancy. Some like Heritance Negombo are well established among the line-up of popular Negombo resorts.

Built by the Dutch to transport cinnamon logs to the harbour, this canal was once part of a 100km long waterway stretching from the north to the west. Today, Hamilton Canal is a tourist attraction, and most hotels in Negombo arrange boat tours along its waterway. There are several attractions that add to the allure of the boat ride, such as wildlife, lush foliage and charming villages.

This old barrack is located close to the huge Negombo Lagoon. The year 1678 is inscribed above the entrance as an indication of when it was established. Although much of the fort is in ruins, there is an aura of grandeur that prevails. Visit the vintage church and simply soak up the relaxing vibes as the sea laps at the shores where the remains of a once grand fortress existed.

This one is not for the faint-hearted, after all, it's fish. The market begins to trade in the wee hours of the morning, as fishermen bring in their night's catch to be auctioned there. The place gets quite crowded closer to daybreak with representatives from resorts and hotels in Negombo as well as local residents and a few tourists eagerly seeking out the best of seafood. Go there for a taste of local lifestyles and perhaps take back a fresh catch of succulent prawns, crabs and other delights of the ocean.

One of the island's largest saltwater lagoons is part of a bio-diverse environment. A boat ride along its glistening shores is quite alluring; check out the many crab traps that are visible in the water as the lagoon is popular for its bounty of mud crabs and prawns. The area is a verdant haven home to mangrove forests and wildlife.