In October 2013 Looe was awarded silver in the

British Travel Awards, coming in a close second

behind Bournemouth. This is a great acolade

for the town and we would like to say a big

thank you to everybody who voted for us.

It’s good to know that people feel so positive

about Looe and we hope this might tempt

a few that are not familiar with the place

to visit in 2014.

We hope that this little guide of ours will also help in planning your

holiday. It features a cross section of accommodation providers in and

around the town and if you still can’t find what you want, don’t hesitate

to go to our website at www.looeguide.co.uk or phone the Tourist

Information Centre on 01503 262072, we are here to help.

Further into the guide you will also find a list of special events taking

place during 2014. These events always bring plenty of people into the

town and if you are looking to attend make sure you book your

accommodation in advance.

We look forward to We look forward to seeing youseeing you

When should we visit?When should we visit?Spring brings new life to the area with fantastic floral displays in

everything from hedgerows to formal gardens. Whether you are an

avid gardener or just love vivid colours, you won’t find a better place to

be this time of the year than Cornwall.

Summer is a time for relaxing on the beach and soaking up the rays or

exploring hidden coves and rockpools. If you’re unlucky and get a few

wet days, then at least it’s not too far to the Eden Project, the National

Marine Aquarium in Plymouth or a dozen other indoor attractions.

Autumn draws in, life slows a little, things mellow and thoughts turn to

long walks and pub lunches beside roaring fires. There are fewer

visitors about, accommodation is often a little cheaper and Indian

summers are always a possibility!

Winter is for those who like the wilder side of Cornwall. Wrap up warm

and watch the waves crash against the jagged shoreline. Visit a

Christmas market and buy some local produce or come down and see

in the New Year in style with one of the best free parties in the UK.

.....Anytime!.....Anytime!

You are never far away from the sea in South East Cornwall and no visit to

Looe or Polperro is complete without a trip on the water of some sort.

From deep sea reef fishing to a ferry trip across

the river, from kayaking off the beach to a

speedboat trip around the bay, even a glass

bottom boat trip around Looe Island, there’s a

water based activity

for everybody.

If you prefer the faster side of life then

wait until the middle of August when

the Merlin Rocket class of sailing

dinghys will be shooting across the

bay during their national

championships.

But if you don’t like being on the water....

..just sit on the quayside and watch life

float by.....

..there’s no better way to relax!

Sail away...

making plans.com

It’s never been easier to plan your holiday in advance now that we havethe internet, and to many the idea of a printed guide is as old fashionedas black and white televisions and radiograms. But many of you still liketo read through the guide, even if you then go online to book youraccommodation. This is why we keep producing the guide, but everyyear the number of advertisers drops as more and more businessesconcentrate on web based advertising.

So please mention the Looe Guide if you make a booking or enquirywith any of the advertisers in this guide. If you don’t this might be thelast year we can afford to produce one. The internet is taking over, notonly is it in our homes but it is also in our hands. Visitors can accessinformation while sitting on the beach or walking the coast path, 24hours of the day.

There are a multitude of websites out there offering easy booking ofaccommodation, many promising the best prices available. Feel free touse these, but just remember you can often get a better price, and abetter choice of room, by speaking to the accommodation providerdirectly, and you won’t be paying a substantial percentage of the cost tothe dot com websites.

Cornwall needs tourism, it needs your money! By ignoring the onlinebooking sites and paying the accommodation provider directly, thatmoney is going back into the local economy, it will go back into makingthe destination better for next time you visit, not into a faceless onlinecompany based in the US or who knows where.

Please remember this when you are planning your holiday. We are afriendly lot here in Looe, give us a ring, send us an email, we arealways happy to help and give you advice and where possible save yousome money!

..and for those of you with access to the internet,

www.looeguide.co.uk

Looe Tourist Information Centre stock a

good supply of maps and walking books.

They can also give advice on any routes

you might like to try and supply up to

date weather and tidal information.

Ten short walking routes tofollow in and around Looe.

Pick up a leaflet or downloadthe podcasts at

www.looeguide.co.ukor use this QR code .

Tide’s in, Sun’s out....

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Polperro...Make sure you find time to discoverthe hidden corners of Looe’s nearneighbour. Much of Polperro istucked away along narrow lanes,beloved by artists and the haunt ofsmugglers in the past.

Discover its galleries, restaurants andtraditional pubs, or take a boat tripfrom the harbour.

..Picture perfect

Planning a holiday..

....or just had one?

Stay in touch via Facebook or Twitter

Just look for Looe TIC

Post us your photos......tell us about your holiday...

...or ask us a stupid question!!!

Keep in touch!

Life’s a beach....…in South East Cornwall! and with so many to choose from we aresure you will find a beach to suit your needs.

The large sandy beach at East Looe is easily accessible, (we evenhave a beach wheelchair for disabled visitors) offers safe swimmingand is close to all the facilities you need for a day relaxing. Over theriver at West Looe, the beach at Hannafore has less sand but withthousands of rockpools it’s great for exploring or snorkeling over athigh tide.

Other beaches in the area include...

Polperro: Sandy beach below the harbour wall when the tide is out.Willy Wilcox’s cave is ideal for the intrepid explorer.

Lantic Bay: Lovely National Trust owned beach, reached by 20 minwalk from the car park featuring a steep descent. Swimmers shouldbe aware of strong currents and shelving.

Lansallos: Another National Trust beach, this secluded cove at theend of an old smugglers path is popular with families.

Millendreath: Sandy beach that can be walked to from Looe. Newdevelopment offers cafe and water sports facilities.

Seaton: Large dog friendly sand and shingle beach to the east ofLooe. Parking behind beach. All facilities.

Talland Bay: Between Looe and Polperro, mix of rock pools andsand, cafes and parking.

Whitsand Bay: Long stretch of sand to the east of the area. Goodfor surfing and sunbathing, swimming only recommended wherelifeguards are on duty.

For more information on beaches call in at the Tourist Information Centre

or

w w w. l o o e g u i d e. c o . u k

Rambles from the Railway

It has been a few years since the Looe area had a good walk-ing guide, but that has now changed witht he publication ofRambles from the Railway. Containing nine walks that link inwith the Looe Valley Line, including the classic Liskeard Looewalk, this book is a must for anybody wanting to explore thearea on foot.

Copies of the book cost £4.50 and are available in local shopsand Looe and Liskeard Tourist Information Centres.

The Looe Valley Line

Looe can be easily reached by train from all over the country,the final part of the journey running the eight miles down theLooe Valley, perhaps the most scenic line in the UK? The linefollows the Looe River as it changes from stream to tidalestuary, the last couple of miles giving uninterrupted viewsacross the wide expanse of water, or mud, depending on thetide.

The line is a good way to see the birdlife of the valley, witheverything from Oyster Catchers to Egrets, Kingfishers toBuzzards only a few feet from the train window. Alternativelyget off at one of the stations on the line and take a walk in thesurrounding countryside (see Rambles book opposite).

The year round service (no Sunday service between Novem-ber and May) takes just under half an hour and can easily belinked to main line services, offering the chance of a greatday out in Cornwall or Plymouth. A cheap day return is greatvalue and if three or four of you are travelling ask for a groupsave ticket and travel for the price of two people.

Timetables are available in the Tourist Information Centre,online at www.nationalrail.co.uk

or telephone National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950.

www.carfreedaysout.com

Take a walk on the wildside while onTake a walk on the wildside while onholiday and see what you can find.holiday and see what you can find.

Every rockpool is a world in itself withEvery rockpool is a world in itself with1000s of creatures to discover, whilst1000s of creatures to discover, whilstno trip to Looe is complete without ano trip to Looe is complete without a

session crabbing on the quayside.session crabbing on the quayside.

The Looe Marine Conservation GroupThe Looe Marine Conservation Grouprun Rockpool Rambles throughout therun Rockpool Rambles throughout theyear and also provide leaflets on howyear and also provide leaflets on how

to identify what you might find.to identify what you might find.

Ask in the Tourist InformationAsk in the Tourist InformationCentre for details or go to Centre for details or go to

www.looemarineconservation.orgwww.looemarineconservation.org

Things to do...

Bodmin MoorBodmin Moor

The high moors in the centre of Cornwall are guaranteed toprovide any visitor to the county with a sense of solitude andamazement. Rich in history and folklore, abounding in fantasticviews and wild walks, they are easily accessed from Looe andsouth east Cornwall.

The village of Minions, less than a half hours drive from Looeand the coast, is surrounded by a World Heritage site celebratingCornwall’s rich mining history. Going further back in time themoors to the north of the village are rich in prehistoric remainsgoing back 6000 years, including stone circles.

Looe Tourist information Centre can help with maps and guidebooks and any general information you might need about themoors, alternatively go to

www.bestofbodminmoor.co.uk

..the wild heart of Cornwall

Fans of Downton Abbey and other period TV dramas will find plenty tosatisfy thier demand for the past in South East Cornwall.

At Lanhydrock (pictured below) visitors can walk through the UpstairsDownstairs world of a Victorian country house whilst another NationalTrust property, Anthony House near Torpoint, was used for filming therecent Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland.

Mt Edgcumbe, hidden away on the Rame peninsular (Cornwall’s forgottencorner) has been used by German film crews for adaptations ofRosamunde Pilcher novels and the historic port of Charlestown, just downthe coast, has been used in any number of films and TV programs, themost recent including an episode of Dr Who and the new Martin Sheenfilm ‘The Adventurer, the Curse of the Midas Box’ due to be released in2014.

With stunning landscapes and coastal vistas it is not surprising that somany film companies travel to Cornwall for their inspiration. Part of thepopularity of the TV series Doc Martin is the Cornish countryside that it isset in, from the sleepy fishing village of Portwenn (Port Isaac) to thecraggy hills of Bodmin Moor. Some may also remember the Poldark seriesset amongst Cornwalls tin mining areas, many of which can still be visitedand now form part of a World Heritage site.

So don’t forget to bring your camera on holiday, there’s a new locationaround every corner....

Useful Telephone NumbersLooe Tourist Information Centre ..................01503 262072

Looe Town Council .……………….……..01503 262255 Looe Harbour Commissioners …...…….….01503 262839Police—Non Emergency……...................…101Looe Health Centre / Doctors Surgery …....01503 266960Liskeard Community Hospital ……….……01579 335278Derriford Hospital, Plymouth ……….…….0845 155 8155Dentist Helpline …………………………..0800 371192Local Vet ……………………...………….01503 263773National Rail Enquiries ……………………0845 748 4950

Nearby Tourist Information CentresLiskeard TIC …………………….………..01579 349148Fowey TIC ……………………..………....01726 833616

Produced byLooe Town CouncilThe Guildhall, Fore StEast Looe, CornwallPL13 1AATel 01503 262072looetic@btconnect.com

The Looe Guide 2014 is produced by Looe Town Council in order to promote the town

and surrounding area as a tourist destination. We greatly acknowledge the support of

all the businesses whose advertisements appear in these pages. Without their help we

would not be able to publish the guide. However, Looe Town Council take no

responsibility for the products or services advertised.

Printed byDeltor Communications Ltd

Long Acre, SaltashCornwallPl12 6LZ

Tel 01752 841717enquiries@deltoruk.com

Why not end the year in Looe? Join inone of the biggest and best free fancydress parties in the UK. The streets, thepubs and the restaurants are all buzzing as

locals and visitors mix to see inthe new year. At midnight

it’s time to get down tothe seafront to watchthe fireworks....

...and then on New YearsDay, what better way to

get over the partyingthan to take a stroll along the coast pathand blow away the old year for ever.

You’re tempted? Don’t leave it too late tobook...it gets busy!