NEGOMBO FISH MARKET

Negombo is one of the island's largest fishing centers. This fish market was inaugurated in 2008 with the aim of introducing travelers to the city's main economic activity. And it works, because you won't be alone wandering its aisles at the crack of dawn. The wholesale fish market, from which many of the region's hotels and restaurants draw their supplies, is just one kilometer away, and is mainly for catering professionals only. At the Negombo Fish Market on the beach, you can watch the returning boats unload their catch in the early hours of the morning. Fish and seafood are then sold on the market stalls. Some fish are preserved in tubs of salted seawater so that they can be easily butchered, while others go to the drying benches, spread out in the sun on large mats woven from coconut fibre. Dried fish plays an important part in the island's gastronomy, particularly in the preparation of certain sambol dishes. The fruits of fishing in Negombo's lagoon are highly sought-after: brackish-water prawns and mangrove crab. We recommend visiting the market early, between 6 and 9 am. This is when activity is at its peak: fish sorting, cutting and salting, auctions, tough negotiations... Despite the influx of tourists, the market retains its authenticity thanks to the fishermen's ancestral techniques, and offers an exotic spectacle that will delight photography enthusiasts.