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North of Colombo

Leaving Colombo most eyes look south, but for those with time on their hands and a sense of curiosity, or for those on the slow road towards Anuradhapura, the northbound A3 heads out of Colombo, skirts some charming old Dutch canals, slides past some sandy beaches and gets utterly lost among a matted tangle of coconut groves and wildlife-filled woodlands. It all adds up to a wonderful sense of discovery.

For the moment, aside from workaday Negombo, which sits close to Bandaranaike International Airport, much of this area remains fairly unexplored by tourists, except for a hardcore band of kitesurfers who flock to Kalpitiya. Change is happening fastest on the sleepy Kalpitiya peninsula, where new resorts are blossoming and an ambitious project is under way to transform the northern tip of the peninsula into the kind of high-end, exclusive beach tourism that dominates the neighbouring Maldives.

Explore North of Colombo

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Main Fish Market
Each day, fishers take their oruvas (outrigger canoes) and go out in search of the fish for which Negombo is famous. They’re a fine sight as they sweep…
N
Negombo Beach
Even though it could never compete in a beauty contest against many Sri Lankan beaches, Negombo's beach, which stretches north from the town right along…
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Muthurajawela Marsh
Muthurajawela Marsh, which evocatively translates as ‘Supreme Field of Pearls’, is a little-known gem of a wetland at the southern end of Negombo’s lagoon…
W
Wilpattu National Park
At 1317 sq km, Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest national park. Hidden in the dense, dry woodland, you'll (hopefully) find an array of wildlife that…
H
Hamilton Canal
The Dutch showed their love of canals here like nowhere else in Sri Lanka. Canals extend from Negombo all the way south to Colombo and north to Puttalam,…
A
Alankuda Beach
Alankuda is the peninsula's busiest and best beach for non-kitesurfing beach bums. If you squint your eyes and blot out the string of giant wind turbines…
K
Kalpitiya Beach
Kalpitiya Beach at the northern end of the peninsula consists of a long spit of sand most easily reached by boat across the Kalpitiya lagoon. It's a…
F
Fish Market
Across the lagoon bridge is Negombo's second fish market. If you can stagger out of bed at 6am, it’s a good place to watch big fishing boats return with…
Dutch Fort
Close to the seafront near the lagoon mouth are the ruins of the old Dutch fort, which has a fine gateway inscribed with the date 1678. Also here is a…

M
Main Fish Market
Each day, fishers take their oruvas (outrigger canoes) and go out in search of the fish for which Negombo is famous. They’re a fine sight as they sweep…
N
Negombo Beach
Even though it could never compete in a beauty contest against many Sri Lankan beaches, Negombo's beach, which stretches north from the town right along…
M
Muthurajawela Marsh
Muthurajawela Marsh, which evocatively translates as ‘Supreme Field of Pearls’, is a little-known gem of a wetland at the southern end of Negombo’s lagoon…
W
Wilpattu National Park
At 1317 sq km, Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest national park. Hidden in the dense, dry woodland, you'll (hopefully) find an array of wildlife that…
H
Hamilton Canal
The Dutch showed their love of canals here like nowhere else in Sri Lanka. Canals extend from Negombo all the way south to Colombo and north to Puttalam,…
A
Alankuda Beach
Alankuda is the peninsula's busiest and best beach for non-kitesurfing beach bums. If you squint your eyes and blot out the string of giant wind turbines…
K
Kalpitiya Beach
Kalpitiya Beach at the northern end of the peninsula consists of a long spit of sand most easily reached by boat across the Kalpitiya lagoon. It's a…
F
Fish Market
Across the lagoon bridge is Negombo's second fish market. If you can stagger out of bed at 6am, it’s a good place to watch big fishing boats return with…
Dutch Fort
Close to the seafront near the lagoon mouth are the ruins of the old Dutch fort, which has a fine gateway inscribed with the date 1678. Also here is a…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout North of Colombo.

See
Main Fish Market
Each day, fishers take their oruvas (outrigger canoes) and go out in search of the fish for which Negombo is famous. They’re a fine sight as they sweep…
See
Negombo Beach
Even though it could never compete in a beauty contest against many Sri Lankan beaches, Negombo's beach, which stretches north from the town right along…
See
Muthurajawela Marsh
Muthurajawela Marsh, which evocatively translates as ‘Supreme Field of Pearls’, is a little-known gem of a wetland at the southern end of Negombo’s lagoon…
See
Wilpattu National Park
At 1317 sq km, Wilpattu is Sri Lanka’s largest national park. Hidden in the dense, dry woodland, you'll (hopefully) find an array of wildlife that…
See
Hamilton Canal
The Dutch showed their love of canals here like nowhere else in Sri Lanka. Canals extend from Negombo all the way south to Colombo and north to Puttalam,…
See
Alankuda Beach
Alankuda is the peninsula's busiest and best beach for non-kitesurfing beach bums. If you squint your eyes and blot out the string of giant wind turbines…
See
Kalpitiya Beach
Kalpitiya Beach at the northern end of the peninsula consists of a long spit of sand most easily reached by boat across the Kalpitiya lagoon. It's a…
See
Fish Market
Across the lagoon bridge is Negombo's second fish market. If you can stagger out of bed at 6am, it’s a good place to watch big fishing boats return with…
See
Dutch Fort
Close to the seafront near the lagoon mouth are the ruins of the old Dutch fort, which has a fine gateway inscribed with the date 1678. Also here is a…

Guidebooks

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