If you’ve just arrived in Sri Lanka, Negombo is 10 km away from Bandaranaike International Airport, and can be an easier place to get your bearings than big and busy Colombo.

With a smattering of decent hotels and restaurants, you can recover from the flight and get a first taste of the island. Explore markets, wander through the 17th century Dutch Fort, and watch fishermen pull their haul from the harbor at sunrise. You can even get out on the water yourself and explore Negombo Lagoon’s mangroves, a plentiful source of tasty prawns, crab and lobster.

Nicknamed, “Little Rome” for its Roman Catholic presence, you’ll find a surprising amount of grand, old churches scattered across the city. A walking tour is a great way to soak it all in. But, if you’ve just arrived, you’d be forgiven for simply wanting to get your feet in the sand. While Negombo Beach isn’t as impressive as others on the island, it’s a pretty place to watch the sunset and ease into Sri Lanka, without having to travel too far on day one.