Wildlife
A sea turtle hatchery at Kosgoda
Eggs incubated, hatchlings released at dusk
Destination
Negombo
Ten minutes from the airport, and a real town
Negombo at a glance
- Best months
- December to April
- Time needed
- One night, at each end
- From Colombo
- 10 min from the airport
- Entry
- Free
- Monsoon side
- South and west coast
- Region
- West Coast
Negombo exists on most itineraries for one practical reason: it is ten minutes from Bandaranaike International Airport, and Colombo is an hour further on through traffic. If your flight lands at two in the morning — as most long-haul flights from Europe do — the difference between those two drives matters a great deal.
What makes Negombo better than a simple airport stopover is that it is a working town rather than a hotel strip. It was the centre of the Dutch cinnamon trade, it has a large Catholic population left over from the Portuguese, and it still runs one of the biggest fishing fleets on the island.
The fish market
Lellama, the main fish market, starts around 3.30am when the outrigger boats come in, and it is at its best before six. Tuna, seer, skipjack and squid are auctioned on the sand while it is still dark; by mid-morning it is being dried on racks along the beach.
It is loud, wet, extremely smelly and one of the most interesting hours available anywhere near Colombo. Wear shoes you do not mind.
The lagoon and the canal
Negombo lagoon is shallow, fringed with mangrove and full of birds — kingfishers, egrets, herons, and pelicans in numbers. A boat trip at dawn or dusk is calm, cheap and a completely different pace from the market.
The Dutch canal running through the town was cut in the eighteenth century to move cinnamon to Colombo, and stretches of it are still used.
What else
St Mary’s Church, with a painted ceiling, and the remains of the Dutch fort near the lagoon mouth. Neither takes long. The beach itself is fine for a walk and a sundowner but it is not why you would come — the good beaches are three hours south.
How to use it
One night at the start of a trip to sleep off the flight, and one at the end to avoid a 3am drive from Galle to the airport. That second one is worth more than most people expect.
If you arrive with a full day before your trip starts, the market and a lagoon boat fill it well.
What to see in Negombo
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Lellama fish market
The catch auctioned on the sand before dawn, then dried on racks along the beach through the morning.
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Negombo lagoon by boat
Mangrove channels full of kingfishers, egrets and pelicans. Best at first or last light.
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The Dutch canal
Cut in the eighteenth century to carry cinnamon to Colombo, and still in use in places.
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St Mary's Church
A large painted ceiling, and a reminder of how Catholic this stretch of coast still is.
Things to do in Negombo
Questions we get asked about Negombo
Negombo, almost always. It is ten minutes from the airport against an hour or more into Colombo through traffic, and most long-haul flights land in the small hours. Colombo is worth a day if you want a city; it is not worth the drive at 2am.
Around 3.30am, when the boats come in, and it is at its best before six. By mid-morning the auction is over and the catch is being dried on racks along the beach. Wear shoes you do not mind ruining.
For a walk and a drink at sunset, yes. As a beach holiday, no — the water is not the clearest and the good sand is three hours south at Bentota, Unawatuna or Mirissa. Negombo earns its place on convenience and the town itself.
One night at each end of a trip. If you land with a full day spare before the itinerary starts, the fish market at dawn and a lagoon boat in the afternoon fills it comfortably.
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