Looe
LOOE
The historic twin towns of East and West Looe provide all you could ask of a holiday in Cornwall. Safe beaches, quality accommodation, a wide choice of restaurants, excellent walking routes, fishing trips, diving, etc, etc.
It is more than a century ago now that people first started to discover the charms of East and West Looe, then just small fishing communities hidden away in the picturesque river valley. Those early visitors came to spend time on the beach, to go fishing or to go rambling in the surrounding countryside. Today visitors still return year after year because it continues to offer those same pleasures and that something special for visitors of all ages.
In 2010 it is looking like July is the time to visit. Over the weekend of the 10th and 11th Looe’s Festival by the Sea will once again be taking place. This will include the Taste South East Cornwall team with their wonderful food plus loads of other harbourside events for all the family. Later in the month Looe Lions Carnival week takes place, starting on Sunday the 25th and culminating in the procession itself on Saturday 31st.
Whether you come for the culture and history or just to enjoy the beach and the sea, Looe has plenty of choice. The same goes for accommodation. Choose from a tent or a top quality hotel, either way you can wake up in the morning to the cry of the gulls and catch the sun rising over the bay, or choose to stay a little inland on a traditional working farm where you can be guaranteed of a good hearty breakfast, sourced from local ingredients. The choice is yours.
Talking of food, Looe has one of the largest fishing fleets on the Cornish coast, and this means that the fish you eat in the many good restaurants is as fresh as you can get. Every year the local restaurants get together to organise a month long food festival in November called Taste South East Cornwall. Special menus, walks, talks and hands on events guarantee no one comes away disappointed. Away from the restaurants, hungry mouths can enjoy fish and chips whilst sat on the quayside or sample a filling Cornish pasty from one of several traditional local bakers. Of course, no holiday beside the sea would be complete without an ice cream and in Looe we have award winning ice creams in a multitude of flavours to suit both young and old alike.
A long history as a port and fishing village means Looe has plenty of pubs in which to spend an enjoyable evening soaking up the atmosphere. A quiet pint in a slate floored, low beamed bar or an up-tempo night with live entertainment, it is your choice.
During the day East Looe beach offers safe swimming, sun bathing or perfect sand for budding castle builders. With all the facilities of the town just behind the beach it makes for an easy relaxing day out with no need to carry tons of supplies miles along paths. Just beyond the main beach, and also at West Looe, the golden sand gives way to rocks and rock pools. Here a whole new world is awaiting those who like exploring, the individual pools changing with every tide. Bright red and green sea anemones wave their many arms in the current whilst tiny shrimps dart for cover under rocks at the slightest movement.
The more intrepid explorer can take to the water with mask and snorkel and join the fish as they swim around the rocks or go even further and spend some time diving on the wrecks that lie scattered along the coast. Amongst these is HMS Scylla, an ex naval frigate, sunk specially in 2004 to become a haven for divers in safe waters just off the coast.
On the water, many of the boatmen offer trips around the bay or up the river. Whilst it may not be common, there is always the chance of seeing a seal or a dolphin playing amongst the waves and if you take a trip on a glass bottom boat, who knows what you might see? Just off the coast lies Looe Island, for many years owned by two sisters, it is now, after their deaths, in the hands of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Operating as a nature reserve, it is possible to take a boat out to the island for a look around during the main season. Other boats offer fishing trips, be it just to catch a few mackerel or to become a big game hunter and go in search of a mighty shark. At the other extreme, children find nothing more entertaining than sitting on the quayside and dangling a line over the edge to catch crabs. All harmless fun as long as you put the crabs back at the end of the day.
For more leisurely water pursuits, Looe has a thriving sailing club. Budding Olympians race in the bay twice a week during the summer. The red sails of the Redwing sailing dinghy, specially designed for Looe bay in the 1930s, still brighten a summers evening as they speed across the water. August 2009 will see the lightweight Scorpion class convene on Looe for the National Championships, promising some intense and fast racing featuring over 80 boats.
For those who prefer to keep their feet on dry land Looe is a great centre for walkers. Heading inland from Looe, Kilminorth Woods at the entrance to the West Looe valley, quickly take you away from the crowds and into a landscape of green. Ancient oak woodland, dripping in lichen and moss, drops down to the river, a haven for birds ranging in size from kingfishers to herons. The Giants Hedge, an ancient earthwork, runs through the woods and its route can be followed on one of three waymarked walks that emerge at the hamlet of Watergate. From here the valley can be followed further, past Holy wells and mediaeval bridges to the once busy mining village of Herodsfoot, now silent and peaceful. The Looe Valley Walking Festival, held each September, gives walkers a chance to be guided around all this wonderful countryside with a local expert.
For many a walk along the cliffs using the South West Coast Path is a highlight of the holiday. Passing through the heart of the Looe, walkers can head east or west taking in part of its 630 miles route. Going west via Talland Bay to the old smugglers haunt of Polperro is a must, stunning coastal views, hidden coves and not too many climbs mean this is a very popular walk, and not too strenuous.
Of course walking is not much fun if it’s raining; neither is the beach. Luckily Looe doesn't get too much rain, but when it does we have several undercover attractions nearby, plus the town museum which provides a wide spectrum of life in the town over the last 1000 years or so; it is also possible to research your family ties there if you think you have relations from the area.
And so we hope that you will decide to come to Looe for your holiday, you will receive a warm welcome and soon won’t want to go anywhere else.
