There are several architectural points of interest along Sri Lanka’s north-west coast, from old churches built by the Dutch and Portuguese to ancient tanks constructed over 2,000 years ago, making this region a great stop for those interested in exploring Sri Lankan heritage and colonial architecture.
Negombo in particular is interesting to explore in terms of Sri Lankan architecture. A key port during the island’s colonial periods, it is now home to a collection of beautiful 17th century Catholic churches: discover the spectacular architecture of these historic buildings on our guided walking tour of Negombo. St. Anne’s in Kalpitiya is also a popular colonial church to visit, and the area also hosts church festivals between March and July to which pilgrims flock each year.
Negombo is also home to a complex network of canals that stretch for over 100km along the north-west coast and down to Colombo. Constructed by the Dutch in the 1600s to transport valuable cinnamon and other spices from the inland plantations to the port, these canals are still used today and can be explored by bicycle.
The area is also famous for the ancient tanks that were built during the Anuradhapura period as a way of storing monsoon rainwater to be used for paddy irrigation later in the year. Cycle through the inland wilderness and soak up the utterly tranquil atmosphere, stopping off to see the 2,000-year-old tanks and half-hidden temples such as Mulegama in Puttalam.
