The beach at Negombo owes much of its popularity to its convenient location just 10km (6 miles) north of the international airport, hence attracting many visitors for their first (or last) night’s stay on the island. The beach here is wide but heavily developed and, in places, rather grubby. Although there are far nicer places to stay further south, Negombo is fine for a night, and there are myriad hotels in all price ranges to choose from. There’s also lively collection of

restaurants and bars, giving the resorts a liveliness and a smattering of nightlife which is notably lacking in most other places along the coast.

One of the largest towns along the west coast of Sri Lanka, Negombo rose to

prominence during the colonial era thanks to its abundant supplies of wild cinnamon. The centre of town preserves a few reminders of the Dutch period, including the slight remains of the old fort (converted by the British into a prison, and still used as such), a ramshackle old rest house, and the Dutch canal, which arrows due north from Negambo all the way to Puttalam, over 100km (62 miles) away.

In the middle of town stands the stately pink landmark of St Mary’s Church, one of the numerous large Roman Catholic churches which dot Negombo town and the coast south to Colombo. Portuguese missionaries were particularly active in the area, converting many of the local fishermen to Roman Catholism. Their devotion to the faith of their colonial overlords can still be seen, not only in the area’s many churches, but also in the dozens of colorful little wayside shrines which dot the main roads around the town, as well as the dramatic ‘Passion Play’ which is enacted at Duwa island, just opposite Negambo town, every Easter.

The fishermen in Negombo are also famous for their fleet of distinctive “Oruva” boats – A small canoe attached to a couple of floats and topped by a huge square sail. Pliny mentioned these boats in the 1^stcentuary AD, though they had probably existed for many centuries before then, and the sight of dozens of these unusual vessels sailing back to shore after a fishing trip is Negombo’s most memorable sight.

The Negombo lagoon is the source of some of the island’s most highly prized seafood, especially its larges and juicy prawns. Daily fish auctions are held early in the morning (around 7am) in the busy fish markets in the town centre and at Duwa; both of which are worth a visit at any time of the morning for the sight of crowds of locals haggling animatedly over huge piles of tuna, seer, mullet, crabs and other forms of marine bounty.