Looe Harbour
Looe has still a working harbour today, you still can watch the fishing boats go out then come back in to unload their catches, still a busy place the harbour featured on the TV show Cornwall This Fishing Life where you get to see the real lives of fisherman in this day and age and the struggles that they go through. Along Looe you’ll see a fleet of restaurants on the quay, this is where the fishermen sell their catch to, so if you’re eating in Looe it’s well worth a try to one of their restaurants to get the freshest fish around.
In Looe harbour there are plenty of boating and fishing trips for you to go on, either going for the small mackerel or more exotic shark fishing, don’t fear though this is for more tagging the fish rather than the killing of big fish. Other than that there are several beaches nearby, besides Banjo Pier there is a small stretch of golden sand which is perfect for the family but beware this will get extremely busy during the summer months. West Looe there is a beach in Hannafore from where you can see Looe Island across the sea but on a rainy day, you can shop around the town and visit the Old Guildhall Museum.
Looe Island (Georges Island)
Back in 1965 Babs and Evelyn Atkins had a dream and followed through and pursued that which saw them buying Looe island. When the time came Babs decided to leave the island for Cornwall Wildlife Trust which will preserve it as a nature reserve. Miss Atkins and her sister Evelyn bought the 22 acre island which lies one mile off the Cornish coast in 1965. The island has an exceptionally mild climate and in calm summer weather is an idyllic paradise, but in winter it can be lashed by wild storms and cut-off from the mainland for days or even weeks.
During the summer months, the island is open to day visitors as a non-profit trip, landing fees and other income from visitors are put towards conserving the island’s natural surroundings and providing facilities to visitors. When on the island you’ll find no shops, roads or cars which makes it even more beautiful. There are two beaches, a natural rock swimming pool, coves, caves, and woodland walks on the island and if you want to take a dip only do so when the weather looks good for it otherwise we strongly do not recommend going in whilst the weather is not ideal.
Looe Island Swim
Once a year Looe sets an event to swim across from Looe Island to raise money for a variety of charities. Each year Swimmers are transported by Glass-Bottomed Boat to the Island where they will alight. The Safety Briefing will take place on the Island and once the safety team is in place the swim back to East Looe Beach will begin, over a mile long swim can be tiring so once you’re back on the beach you’ll be greeted by only the best Cornish pasties along with refreshments and a cheering crowd, if you’re adventurous this will be perfect for you! The swim is held in partnership with the Rotary Club of Looe.
East Looe Beach is a great place to have a beach day, back on to a parade full of ice cream pop-ups that serve proper Cornish ice cream with a variety of flavours. The beach itself has a good amount of golden sand but can become busy during summer periods so if you want a spot I’d recommend coming early to get yours. Other beaches around the Looe area are, Polperro Beach, Plaidy Beach, Seaton Beach, and Downderry Beach all are great for the family and some have features like rock pools which kids love to explore through and find all the marine life living inside them.