Explore the Sun & Sand with sea bathing

Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and 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 also popular among visitors, with a few well-preserved coral reefs and a 50-year-old shipwreck (Kudapaduwa) that serves as an artificial reef for many varieties of fish

The boats of the traditional fishermen are made in two distinct forms, oruvas (a type of sailing canoe) and paruvas (a large, man-powered catamaran fitted with kurlon dividers), and are said to have originated in the islands off the Mozambican coast; they were brought to Sri Lanka by Portuguese traders in the 17th century. You can see hundres of Catamarans along the Negombo beach which make a nice attraction.

Negombo is home to Sri Lanka’s oldest fish market. The harsh smells and the loud cries of the Lellama Fish Market are just the precursor to a gourmet seafood meal; guaranteed to satisfy all culinary desires. Let Jetwing Lagoon guide you through an escapade of sumptuous proportions; to a place where time has stood still. A fishing village by long history, witness for yourself the catch of seer, skipjack, herring and mullet and amber-jack by old world fishing crafts such as outrigger canoes and catamarans, and lobster and prawns caught in the Negombo lagoon: the finest seafood experience topped off with a journey into Sri Lankan seafood delicacies by preparing the catch of the day with our chef.

The Negombo Lagoon has an area of 3 164 hectares and is situated some 40 km north of Colombo. It is part of a much larger Muthurawajawela Marsh- coastal wetland.
The fishermen who are based at the Negombo lagoon live in abject poverty in shanty thatch palm villages along the water’s edge. They rely mainly on their traditional knowledge of the seasons for their livelihood, using outrigger canoes carved out of tree trunks and nylon nets to bring in modest catches from September through till April.For generations the lagoon has provided the fishermen with a plentiful supply of crabs, shrimps, lobsters, cuttlefish and many of the native species of fish.

Near the Negombo lagoon you’ll come across an unusual wetland environment that contains the country’s largest marsh. It’s popular with eco-tourists as its habitat provides a comprehensive view of the wildlife and plant life indigenous to Sri Lanka’s coastal wetlands. Bird watching in Muthurajawela is very popular among bird and nature lovers.

Explore the ancient Churches and dutch construction.
The legacy of the Dutch colonial era can be seen in the Dutch Fort, constructed in 1672, a number of other buildings such as Dutch churches and the extensive canal system is also there

The Dutch Canal, Negombo was used for the purpose of a supply route in the times of the Dutch administration. The canal is still being used. It runs across the town and is hundred kilometers long. The Dutch Canal, Negombo, used to serve as a supply to the Dutch administration along with the Old Churches and fishing villages during the Dutch rule.

Negombo is heavily influenced by the Christian faith. In fact Negombo has been given the name ‘Little Rome’ due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches such as St. Mary’s Church, which is one of the most important structures in Negombo.St. Mary’s Church is the biggest cathedral in Negombo and has a painted ceiling as well as alabaster statues of various saints. The church’s construction was started in 1874 and was completed after almost 50 years in 1922. It is also one of the larger cathedrals in Sri Lanka

Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya (Angurukaramulla Temple), the well-known Buddhist temple in Negombo is a popular religious center.
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.
Bhodhirajarama Viharaya attracts devotees from all over the country. Popularly known as “Angurukaramulla Temple” it is a must for all the Buddhist pilgrims who pass through Negombo.

The tours will commence from Negombo and you will be offered a 4 WD safari vehicle for the tour inside the National Parks.

Kalpitiya is a peninsula that separates the Puthlam lagoon from the Indian Ocean. Beautiful beaches, uninhabited islands and scenic beauty attract visitors of all ages.If you are planning to watch dolphin and whales in Kalpitiya, You have to visit between Novembers to April when the sea off Kalpitiya is calm.There are many tour operators that arrange boat safari for dolphin and whale watching. Boats leave in the morning and return in the afternoon, and a trip takes about 5 hours. An experienced guide will explain you about the area and the behavior of dolphins and whales.