Fun and Scenic Negombo Tour by Tuk Tuk

Negombo Lagoon is a large estuarine lagoon in Negombo, south-west Sri Lanka. The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers and a canal. It is linked to the sea by a narrow channel to the north, near Negombo city. It is surrounded by a densely populated region containing rice paddies, coconut plantations and grassland.

Negombo is a city on the west coast of Sri Lanka, north of the capital, Colombo. Near the waterfront, the remains of the 17th-century Dutch Fort now house a prison. Negombo Lagoon, lined with fishermen’s huts, feeds into the Dutch-era Hamilton Canal. The canal leads south to Colombo. Neoclassical St. Mary’s Church, completed in the 1920s, features a ceiling decorated with vivid religious paintings.

Negombo Fort was a small but important fort in Negombo, approx. 30 km (19 mi) north of Colombo, that was built by the Portuguese to defend Colombo.
In its time the fort at Negombo was probably the next in strategic importance after Colombo, Jaffna and Galle. The original Portuguese fort was a weak structure, which, according to the account of João Ribeyro;
"Negombo was only a square enclosed by walls, with two redoubts and five guns. A Captain and a few men, with a Chaplain were stationed there"
It was captured by Dutch forces commanded by Philip Lucasz, in February 1640. The Portuguese made several attempts to retake it before they were successful in December 1643. They then strengthened the fortifications and managed to defend the fort until it was recaptured by the Dutch under the command of François Caron, in January 1644.
The original bastions were destroyed by the Dutch cannons during the siege of the fort.

The Negombo Fish Market is interesting because it takes place right on the beach, fresh from fishing boats. Crowds of fishermen are seen untangling their fishing nets, playing with their kids, and stretching out miles of fish to dry in the sun on Negombo's shore.

All along the coast you'll see stretches of shark, tuna, sardine, mackerel and other fish. You also get live crabs for sale at the stalls outside the market. There are also rickety open sheds set up on the coast where the fishermen sort out their boats and fishing nets, and you might see their family relaxing here in the shade.

Negombo has been influenced greatly by the Christian faith from the time it was occupied by the Portuguese. It is often called "Little Rome" in view of the large number of churches in the city.
Construction of the church was started in 1874 and completed, after a long gap, in 1922. The art and architecture of this church and a few similar other churches in Sri Lanka demonstrate the cultural amalgamation of the European practice with Sri Lankan art and architecture during the early years of the 20th century.

Sri Muthumariamman Temple (Tamil: ஸ்ரீ முத்துமாரியம்மன் கதிர்வேலாயுத சுவாமி கோவில்) is one of the famous Mariamman temples in Negombo built in a facet clicking back to the syles of Dravidian architecture. The temple still remains in an old fashioned pose. The engravings of the granite architecture in the temple is what that holds a reputation to the Negombo Tamils there as one of the most powerful temples where pujas and offering made, provide benefits to the public.

Negombo, Situated six kilometres, a mere stones throwaway from the International airport of Sri Lanka, is a characteristic predominantly Christian fishing town with narrow streets and small boutiques and many a historic churches to visit and see, with its routes running back to the arrival of the Portuguese. Negombo is an ideal place to enjoy the traditional fishing methods of Sri Lanka, the out rigger canoe, the swifter catamaran and the lagoon famous for its pomfret, lagoon crab & lobster during season. A resort town dotted with many hotels and restaurants and the famous lagoon, where one could take a ride in a out rigger sailing canoe and experience the authentic fisherman’s life.

The Hamilton Canal (also commonly known as the Dutch Canal) is a 14.5 km (9.0 mi) canal connecting Puttalam to Colombo, passing through Negombo in Sri Lanka. The canal was constructed by the British in 1802 and completed in 1804. It was designed to drain salt water out of the Muthurajawela wetlands. The canal was named after Gavin Hamilton, the Government Agent of Revenue and Commerce.

Experience the rich flavors of Ceylon tea and the aromas of Sri Lankan spices. Learn about traditional tea and spice cultivation, enjoy a tasting session, and discover the unique qualities that make Sri Lanka’s tea and spices world-famous.

Negombo known as “Little Rome” is a Catholic stronghold in Sri Lanka. Over 90 per cent of the population of Negombo are Catholics. There are over 50 churches and shrines within the Negombo municipality. The majority of Catholic Bishops and the only Cardinal in Sri Lanka have hailed from this Catholic fortress.

Although there are comparatively few Buddhists in Negombo – less than ten percent – their religious fervor is remarkable. The renowned Buddhist leader and patriot Brahmachari Walisingha Harischandra was born in Thimbirigaskatuwa, Negombo. A leading school in Negombo, Harischandra Vidyalaya is named after him.

The beautiful Budu Ge there contains fine sculptural works and paintings on the life of Buddha and Jathaka stories. Its Pilima Ge contains important Buddhist events in Sri Lanka as well as the life size images of all the Sinhala kings from Vijaya to Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe.