Looe

Looe is actually two towns — East Looe and West Looe — joined by a Victorian bridge across the river estuary. The working fishing harbour is the heart of the place, and it’s still genuinely active: fishing boats head out daily, and the catch lands on the quayside where it has done for centuries. The narrow streets running up from the harbour are packed with independent shops, galleries, pubs and fish restaurants, and the whole town has a lively, unpretentious energy that’s hard not to enjoy.

East Looe Beach sits right in town, a decent stretch of sand sheltered by the harbour walls that’s perfect for families. But the real treat is Looe Island, a short boat ride from the harbour — a nature reserve managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, home to grey seals and nesting seabirds. Boat trips run regularly in summer, and the island walks are a lovely escape from the bustle of town. Looe has a long history of shark fishing too, and charter boats still head out after blue sharks in the summer months.

The coast path in both directions from Looe is outstanding. Head east along the cliffs towards Whitsand Bay for dramatic walking, or west through the woods to Polperro — one of the prettiest harbour villages in Cornwall. Inland, the Looe Valley is consistently overlooked, with the railway line from Liskeard following the river through quiet woods. The town gets busy in summer, but it earns its crowds. This is south-east Cornwall at its most characterful.