Just minutes from the international airport, Negombo is a lively, layered coastal town built around a traditional fishing community, a network of Dutch-built canals, and a concentration of Catholic church heritage that has earned it the affectionate local nickname of ‘Little Rome.’ It is Sri Lanka’s most natural first or last impression – a place of golden sunsets over the lagoon, fresh seafood on the beach, and the easy warmth of a coastal community that has been welcoming arrivals for centuries.