Looe

Looe is a working fishing port, and that shapes everything about it: boats still land their catch here, the harbour splits the town into East and West Looe, and the smell of fish and chips drifts along the quay most of the day. It's a proper Cornish seaside town rather than a manufactured resort, with narrow streets, steep hills, and a river running through the middle of it all.

Most visitors stay just outside the town centre, where there's more room to breathe. Places like Commonwood Manor, Coombe Farm and Down Ende sit in the surrounding countryside with views over the valley or coast, while Bucklawren Farm offers a more rural base a little further out. Closer in, guest houses such as Bridgeside, Cherrywood Lodge and Dolphin Guest House put you within walking distance of the harbour. For something more basic, Penhale Camping is the area's campsite option.

Beaches are one of the main draws, and Looe is well placed for them. Millendreath Beach sits close to town, while Talland Bay and Polperro Beach are both a short journey along the coast and worth the trip for their quieter, more sheltered stretches of sand. Inland, the Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary gives rescued primates a home and is a popular half-day out, and the Looe Mystery Treasure Trail is a good way to get children exploring the town's streets and history at the same time.

Looe works well as either a base for exploring this stretch of the south Cornwall coast or as a destination in its own right. Between the harbour, the beaches at Polperro and Talland Bay, and the monkey sanctuary inland, there's enough to fill several days without needing to travel far.