The canal running through Negombo is part of a larger system the Dutch extended in the 17th century to transport cinnamon from the interior. Today it's quieter — fishing boats, the occasional canoe, and egrets on the banks. Renting a bicycle and riding along the canal is one of the better ways to spend an afternoon. You can also hire a small boat to go further north, past villages and paddy fields, to where the canal widens into the lagoon.
Dutch Canal
Colonial-era waterway perfect for cycling or boating