කටුනායක Trip Overview
The most popular coastal stopover in Sri Lanka – Negombo! As the fourth largest city in Sri Lanka, Negombo has long been a center of commercial activity and urban lifestyle, in addition to its reputation as a popular stopover destination for travellers arriving from the nearby international airport. Known for its fishing industry, this coastal city is best visited early in the morning when the local fisherfolk bring in the day’s catch on the iconic catamarans of Negombo, to sell at the famous Lellama – the local seafood market, abound with fascinating varieties of fish, and some of the best crabs found across Sri Lanka. Negombo’s history also lends the city its fond nickname of ‘Little Rome’, where a number of catholic churches and cathedrals were established by the Portuguese, while the Dutch have also left behind their legacy of a 17th century fort that now serves as the city prison.
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 12 hours
Starts: කටුනායක, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Day Trips & Excursions >> Day Trips
Explore කටුනායක Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting කටුනායක, බස්නාහිර පළාත, ශ් රී ලංකාව, Sri Lanka
The most popular coastal stopover in Sri Lanka – Negombo! As the fourth largest city in Sri Lanka, Negombo has long been a center of commercial activity and urban lifestyle, in addition to its reputation as a popular stopover destination for travellers arriving from the nearby international airport. Known for its fishing industry, this coastal city is best visited early in the morning when the local fisherfolk bring in the day’s catch on the iconic catamarans of Negombo, to sell at the famous Lellama – the local seafood market, abound with fascinating varieties of fish, and some of the best crabs found across Sri Lanka. Negombo’s history also lends the city its fond nickname of ‘Little Rome’, where a number of catholic churches and cathedrals were established by the Portuguese, while the Dutch have also left behind their legacy of a 17th century fort that now serves as the city prison.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Negombo Fish Market, Negombo Sri Lanka
Negombo has a thriving fishing industry and is home to the second largest fish Market in the Island. It is known to the locals as the “Lellama”. The fishermen have two options of either going out to sea to make their catch of fish or by fishing at the Negombo lagoon which is well known for its crabs, lobsters and prawns and is accessible through the canal system built by the Dutch to transport spices. The fishermen unload their fish straight off the boat and the fish are sorted out by size and type to be displayed. Most of the fresh catch is auctioned off in bulk or bought by local hotels and restaurants, the diversity of the catch in no small way contributing towards fulfilling the dishes on their menus. The remainder of the catch is retailed to the populace of Negombo.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Dutch Fort, Esplanade Road, Negombo 22100 Sri Lanka
The Dutch fort in Negombo, remnants of which can be seen bearing the date 1672 is used today as a prison. Originally this was a Portuguese fort which was destroyed in the Dutch siege in 1644 and later built on where the present fort stands. It is located in a narrow strip of land between the lagoon and the sea and as history tells us, it was once surrounded by moats, large gates and drawbridges.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: St. Mary’s Church, Main Street, Negombo 22100 Sri Lanka
The St Mary’s church Negombo is one of the oldest yet magnificent catholic landmarks in Sri Lanka. The church is located in the grand street at the center of the Negombo which is in the Gampaha district. The church has been built in neoclassicism style with plain walls and columns. The ceilings of the church are ornately decorated with a painting of many saints and the walls at the upper level are fixed with statues of religious saints.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Angurukaramulla Temple, Temple road, Negombo 22100 Sri Lanka
Also known as Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya, this place of worship for Hindus and Buddhists alike dates back over three centuries. It is famous for its Buddha Statue that is visible from afar, which is over 6m in height. At the base of the Buddha Statue lies a dragon’s head with a mouth open wide that acts as the entryway to the Buduge (Shrine room). Within the Buduge chamber lies a statue of Sathapena (sleeping) Buddha where Buddhist pilgrims can worship or place their offerings. One will find themselves encircled by vibrant ancient murals and paintings portraying Buddha and other prominent characters from Buddhist Literature (Jathaka stories).
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Negombo Beach, Negombo Sri Lanka
Negombo is a modest beach town located just 10km from Bandaranaike International Airport. With a stash of decent hotels and restaurants to suit all pockets, a friendly local community, an interesting old quarter and a reasonable (though somewhat polluted) beach, Negombo is a much easier place to find your Sri Lankan feet than Colombo. The Dutch captured the town from the Portuguese in 1640, lost it, and then captured it again in 1644. The British then took it from them in 1796 without a struggle. Negombo was one of the most important sources of cinnamon during the Dutch era, and there are still reminders of the European days.
Duration: 1 hour
