Even though it could never compete in a beauty contest against many Sri Lankan beaches, Negombo's beach, which stretches north from the town right along the hotel strip before fading into a palm tree distance, has been recently tidied up and, in front of the big hotels, is now quite pleasant. Sadly, the water does have a distinct brown colour thanks to estuary run-off and pollution, but it's no longer bad enough to stop people swimming.
Foreign tourists can often access the beach in front of most big hotels even if you're not staying, but for a more colourful (and noisier) scene join the locals at what is known as Negombo Beach Park .
