Negombo is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Negombo is the fourth largest city in Sri Lanka. It is also the administrative capital centre of Negombo Division. Negombo is one of the major commercial hubs in Sri Lanka and it is a very important economic centre in the country with about 144,551 inhabitants within city limits.
It is approximately 35 km (22 mi) north of Colombo. Negombo is known for its fishing industry, with busy fish markets and long, sandy beaches. Negombo is a westernised, vibrant city and it is one of the major tourist destinations in the country. The main international airport of Sri Lanka is in Negombo Metropolis.
Negombo considered as one of the largest economic centre of the country. Negombo is about 5–6 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport, and Negombo has a moderate fish port (used during the periods of Portuguese and Dutch colonization)
The economy of Negombo is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry, though it also produces cinnamon, ceramics, and brass ware.
The Colombo Stock Exchange-Negombo branch and many major financial corporations have their key branches in Negombo. There are department stores, large supermarkets, and boutiques in the bustling streets of Downtown and international food outlets are being opened.
Negombo is a major tourist destination in Sri Lanka. This city is an ideal and liberal place with luxury, tropical life style, for those who want quick access to and from the country's main international airport and also to Colombo city. The 100 km canal network running through the city is still used. Outrigger canoes and modern water-craft ply this route daily, for trade and tourism. Remnants of colonization include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, administrative buildings, Dutch Canal, churches and the ceiling frescoes of St. Mary's Cathedral, Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya (Angurukaramulla Temple)
Negombo is home to the country's second-largest fish market, locally famous as the Lellama (Lel-La-Ma), at the north end of the lagoon. There are daily fish auctions, which give tourists a chance to meet the area's fishers, buy fish and even organise fishing trips and boating tours into the lagoon and the ocean beyond. Other nearby attractions open to visitors include Muthurajawela Marshland, which is part of a 6,000-hectare (14,826-acre) reserve. The protected mangroves of the lagoon are home to over 190 species of wildlife.
Negombo offers one of the best sandy beaches and hotels and resorts on the west coast of Sri Lanka. It draws tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport. Some quiet stretches of the beach are maintained by the tourist hotels, while others are always busy with fishermen and their equipment. Water-sports and diving are popular among visitors, with a few well-preserved coral reefs and a 50-year-old shipwreck that can be seen in the distance also known as Kudapaduwa (Ku-Da-Paa-Du-We) that serves as an artificial reef for many varieties of fish. Mora Wala (Mo-Ra-Wa-La) and Beach Park are very interesting places.
There are local handicrafts, batiks and jewellery boutiques on the beaches and the shops.
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