A 19th-century Dutch-built waterway that once moved cinnamon and goods between Negombo and Colombo, now used for quiet boat tours through lagoon mangroves and coconut groves. Long-tail boats putter past fishermen casting nets and egrets wading the banks. It's slower-paced and far less crowded than the beach. It sits below the headline sights but earns its place on a longer visit to Negombo.
What It Is
You sit low in a narrow wooden boat as it glides between overhanging mangrove branches, passing stilt fishermen and small canal-side homes, with engine noise dropping to near silence on the quieter stretches.
Why Visit
It's the calmest, most scenic way to see Negombo away from the beach crowd, with genuine 19th-century colonial infrastructure still in use. It is not the first thing you should see in Negombo, but with two or more days it fills a gap the major sights leave. Afternoon tends to work best here.
More on Negombo
The nearest area to base yourself is Duwa & Dutch Canal. It is one entry in our list of things to do in Negombo.
We plan trips to Negombo and the rest of Sri Lanka. Tell us your dates and we will put a route together. Our routes are on the tours page.