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Sri-LankaNegombo Beaches: Honest Review, Photos and Choosing the Best Area for a Hotel
If you're looking for perfect turquoise water and snow-white sand, then Negombo is not your option. But if you need an inexpensive resort near the airport with a long coastline and developed infrastructure, perfect for starting or ending your journey through Sri Lanka - then welcome to Negombo. We visited this resort several times at different times and personally walked around all the main sections of the coast to find out where the cleanest beach is (and if there is one at all), which area is better to stay in and what hotel prices to expect.
We also made a detailed video showing all the beaches of Negombo "as is": from relatively clean areas near hotels to abandoned shores with garbage. Watch to get a real idea of what awaits you on the shores of Negombo:
What are the beaches in Negombo: our review and personal impressions
Negombo beaches are far from the paradise pictures from advertising brochures. The main problem is the murky water due to rivers flowing into the ocean, bringing silt, and garbage in some areas. The water here is almost never crystal clear, so it's not the best place for diving and snorkeling.
The cleanest beach section can be found along the tourist area, especially on the stretch of Porutota rd street, about three kilometers from the center (beach on the map). The beach along Lewis Place seemed dirtier to us, although it's closer to the center (beach on the map). If you go a little away from these zones - you'll end up on wild, littered areas where local residents, whose houses stand right by the water, often throw out household and fish waste. Further south, in the Negombo lagoon area, we found some good beaches with black sand, but even there the cleanliness was uneven.
Personal experience and review
I generally liked the tourist area in Negombo, comparing it to other places I've been to in Sri Lanka. I didn't pay much attention to the beaches because beaches are not my thing. For me, beaches are beaches, the water is just a bit murky and there are piles of garbage on the shore. Near the houses of locals it also smells very bad and there are many mangy dogs. What was much more important for me was that you can walk far and long along the shore here.
But the tourist area itself is quite good. First of all, I really liked that it stretches along a wide street. Comparing it later with the praised Unawatuna, where on narrow streets we were constantly chased by crazy tuk-tuk drivers, here you could walk calmly and not be afraid of local crazy drivers. It's also good that everything you need is nearby, and you don't have to go anywhere. Everything is compact, you can walk to the center. There are Wine shops right in the area. At the same time, it's very quiet here, the atmosphere is almost village-like, although for some this might be a minus. We didn't meet any compatriots here, which for me is again a plus.
Well, honestly, I have to say that I wouldn't be able to stay here for more than two days. Although I don't need a bunch of entertainment and discos (and I didn't come across any here), there's not much to see and do here. There's nowhere to walk in the evenings, everywhere is dark and after nine everything falls asleep.
Negombo districts: where is better to stay
Negombo can be clearly divided into two zones for accommodation: the noisy center (Negombo Town) and the quiet tourist area along the ocean a couple of kilometers north of the center. For beach holidays, we definitely recommend staying in the tourist area, closer to Porutota rd street - that's where we found the cleanest beach.
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Negombo Town center
This is the commercial heart of the city, but there are no beaches here. It's 2 kilometers to the tourist area and the nearest normal beach in the tourist area. There are no hotels for recreation here, but there are many ultra-budget options in guest houses. We haven't encountered such low prices as here anywhere else in Sri Lanka, and we've been everywhere.
But this is the economic center of the city. It is formed by Main street, Green street and other adjacent streets (center on the map). This is where shopping centers, shops, the market, currency exchange offices with the best rates, as well as the bus and railway stations are located. If you want to find an inexpensive non-tourist cafe with local flavor, then you should come here too.
You can get to the center from the tourist area in 20-30 minutes on foot or by tuk-tuk for 250-500 rupees (after bargaining or through apps). Keep in mind that in the city center on the streets you can see signs 'Hotel...something'. But this doesn't mean it's really a hotel. Sometimes under Hotel signs in Sri Lanka, local restaurants with very cheap food are designated, something like canteens.
Negombo Town center - noisy streets and no beaches 
But there are exchange offices on the main street here 
There are also supermarkets and markets here -
Tourist area (Lewis Place and Porutota Rd)
It stretches along the shore along Lewis Place street and further along Porutota road (tourist area on the map). Most of the hotels and guest houses, restaurants, cafes, travel agencies, some entertainment, transport rentals, diving offices are located here. There are few local residents and their houses in this area, and those that exist mostly work as guest houses. This is also where the more or less clean and cozy beaches are located. In general, all the tourist life of the city is concentrated here, and this is where you should go if you want to look for accommodation on the spot. And in general, there's simply no point in staying anywhere else in Negombo for recreation except in this area.
The cheapest guest houses are located across the road from the beach and further, on the beach side they are a bit more expensive. Keep in mind that there is no accommodation on Sea street at all, which gradually turns into Lewis Place. Hotels and guest houses start appearing only on Lewis Place and further north.
If you stay in this area, then to get to the center of Negombo, where all the city infrastructure, the railway and bus station are located, you will either have to walk a long way on foot, or take a tuk-tuk for from 250 rupees. But there is also its own railway station Kattuwa here, where all trains from Colombo to Negombo and back stop.
And this is the main street in the tourist area 
Here on the streets there are travel agencies, rentals and everything else 
As well as many hotels and guest houses
In addition to these districts, you can find hotels to the south and north of Negombo. If you go further north along the coast, then up to the town of Chilaw (which is about 30 kilometers from Negombo) you can find rare hotels on beaches that belong to Negombo. There is also the Marawila resort, where you can even buy package tours.
But, in our opinion, there is no particular point in settling further north, unless you are caught by night on the way or you don't want to be away from Negombo. However, it should be said that the beaches there are objectively cleaner.
To the south of the city (towards Colombo) is the Negombo lagoon, on the shore of which several good hotels are located. This area is not touristy (there are houses of local residents everywhere, and there's nowhere to eat outside the hotel), but if you plan to rent transport, then you can stay there too, and drive to the tourist area at any time (10-15 minutes drive).
Negombo hotels: where to stay and our booking tips
Definitely from our travel experience to all corners of Sri Lanka, we can confirm: hotels in Negombo are among the cheapest among all resorts in Sri Lanka. Finding budget accommodation in Negombo on the spot is not difficult, especially in the low season. Prices for quite decent and clean rooms in local guest houses start from 4000 rupees (12.09 USD) for two without air conditioning, and a bed in a decent hostel from 2000 rupees (6.04 USD).
But to get a low price, you need to either book accommodation in advance, or bargain on the spot. Depending on the season and the appetites of the owners, the initial price when searching on the spot may be quoted one and a half to two times higher than the real one. But in practice, you can and should bargain down prices in almost any guest house and in any season.
Watch in the video what kind of room with breakfast we booked for only 3300 rupees/day for two (9.97 USD)
Our recommendations for choosing a hotel
- For a short stop for a night or two after arrival or before departure: you can book a room in the center within walking distance of the railway or bus station. Prices here are very low.
- For budget recreation: look for guest houses on Lewis Place, especially those located across the road from the beach. Prices are lower there, but be prepared to bargain or better book in advance.
- For comfortable recreation: choose hotels on Porutota Rd, in the first line from the sea. Many of them have pools, which is very handy considering that the ocean in Negombo is not always suitable for swimming.
- For seclusion: consider boutique hotels south of the lagoon. These are quiet locations, but keep in mind that there is practically no infrastructure there, and you will need transport.
If you want to get a good hotel with amenities where you can not only sleep but also relax, it makes sense to select and book it in advance. If you plan to spend your entire vacation in Negombo, it's better to choose a hotel with a pool, since the local ocean waters are not too suitable for swimming.
And one more tip from personal experience: if you arrive in Negombo late in the evening or at night, you should book accommodation in advance and if possible warn the owners that you will arrive late. The fact is that some guest houses and hotels are completely closed for the night here, and you simply won't be able to reach them, let alone check in.
You can find and book a hotel in Negombo on these sites, or through the search form:
- 🛌 Search for hotels in Negombo on Trip.com (👍 Mir cards work)
- 🛌 Search for hotels in Negombo on Yandex.Travel
- 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru