Wonderful beaches in and around Looe, Cornwall

Come to the Cornish Riviera to relax, swim and enjoy.

The South East Coast of Cornwall offers a wonderful selection of fine beaches. Whether you like a sandy beach, a rocky beach, beaches to snorkle from or beaches to fish from, you will find your perfect beach somewhere in the locality. Situated in the Cornish Riviera, Looe and the surrounding beaches are blessed with some of the best weather that the British Isles can offer.

Looe Beaches

There are two main beaches at Looe - Hannafore Beach and Looe Beach - both are very different in character.

Hannafore Beach

Hannafore Beach Hannafore beach is just a few yards walk around the corner from the apartment. It is predominantly a rocky beach with patches of shingle and sand. Sit and relax on the grassy banks that run along Marine Drive overlooking the beach and take in the magnificent views towards St George's Island - often known as Looe Island. This beach is great for those who like exploring the rockpools at low tide, where a wonderful variety of sea life can be found. Look out for sponges and sea-squirts, sea anemone, furrowed crab, hairy crab, scorpion spider crab and squat lobsters.

Hannafore Beach faces South East and so it benefits from long hours of glorious Cornish sunshine. There are public toilets at the beach and a café, both of which are seasonal. Overlooking the eastern end of the beach are Tom Sawyers and Hannafore Point Hotel. Both of these are open all year and provide a good selection of meals.

Looe Beach

Looe Beach is situated directly across the Looe River from the apartment. A passenger ferry runs between East Looe and West Looe all year round, so access to this beach is well within walking distance. Looe Beach is a lovely sandy beach ideal for those who like to relax in the sunshine and swim in the lovely clear waters. This beach is ideal for families as seabed slopes very gradually keeping the water shallow for quite a distance.

The beach is swept every day in season. There are toilets next to the beach and Looe has a multitude of places to eat. Sample a traditional Cornish pasty from one of the many bakeries, restaurants and cafes.

The beach immediately east of the Looe Beach is known to the locals as 'Second Beach' and offers fantastic snorkelling on the days with good visibility. Bass fishing from this beach is very popular as the 'king of the sea', as it's known to anglers, swims in very close to the shore to feed as the tide rises. Large schools of Mullet are often seen in the large sandy patch that is uncovered at low tide, about half way down the beach. At low tide you can walk along the beach to Plaidy Beach.

Other Beaches in the Area

Talland Bay

Talland Bay is situated 3.6 miles West of Looe. It has two sheltered shingle beaches with rock pools at low tide - Talland Sand and Rotterdam Beach, which both have lovely flat rocks ideal for sunbathing. There is a café, a shop, toilets and some car parking behind the shop and some road parking. Up the hill is Talland Bay Hotel which is excellent for dining. Sit outside and soak up the sunshine while enjoying good Cornish cooking. Talland Bay is wonderful for the snorkeller with the regular Pollack and colourful Wrass to the occasional flash of the silver Bass.

Plaidy

Plaidy Beach Plaidy Beach is situated 1.5 miles east of Looe. This is quiet sandy beach with rock pools but has no parking or facilities. Walk along the South West Coastal Path from Looe and take in the beautiful scenery looking back towards Looe and St George's Island or on towards Rame Head.

Millendreath

Millwndreath

Millendreath Beach is situated 1 mile east of Looe. It is a rocky beach excellent for rock pooling but it has no facilities and is a little run down.

Seaton

Seaton Beach Seaton Beach is a large, popular sandy beach, toilets, café and shop. The Smugglers Inn and the Sands Bistro are nearby. The beach is easily accessible.

Downderry

Downderry Beach is situated east of Seaton Beach and is a sand and shingle beach with rock pools at low tide. The beach is easily accessible. There Inn on the Shore offers traditional cask ales and excellent dining. There are lots of facilities at Downderry - parking, a pub, restaurants, shops, toilets and even a post office. Downderry offers excellent snorkelling on a good day, and if you are lucky you could stumble across the wreck of 'Gypsy', the sister ship to the 'Cutty Sark,' that is hiding under a kelp bed not far from the shore line. There is a slip road to the beach enabling cars to drive right down on to the beach to launch boats and jet ski's.

Portwrinkle

Portwrinkle Beach Portwrinkle has two beaches - a shingle beach to the west and Finnygook a popular sandy beach to the east of the village. Portwrinkle is located at the western extreme of Whitsand Bay where the Royal Navy sank HMS Scylla to create an artificial reef. There are great views of Rame Head and Looe from Portwrinkle. Access to the beaches at Portwrinkle is not easy and they are probably not suitable for disabled people or pushchairs. There are two car parks but they are small. There are toilets but no other facilities at the beach.

Whitsand Bay

Whitsand Bay Whitsand Bay has the lovely sandy beaches ideal for sand and surfing. It is a four mile long sandy beach but is not easily accessible. There are no toilets and the cliff path to the beach is very steep. For surfers, the beach is suitable for beginners through to intermediates. Beware the rip currents.

At the western end of Tregantle beach (also known as Long Sands Beach) is Tregantle Fort, a MOD firing range. During firing sessions, the beach is closed by means of a 'red flag'. Details of firing times are posted through notices issued to the local parish councils, Harbour Masters, Post Offices, and coastguards. Details are also published in the Cornish Times and The Western Morning News or can be found by calling 01752 822516.

Around the middle of Whitsand Bay is Freathy Beach which has a café above it and to the easterly end is Tregonhawke Beach. There is some parking available in lay-bys along the coast road and there are lifeguards in summer.

Cawsand & Kingsand

Rame Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by water and in addition to Kingsand and Cawsand, the villages of Cremyll, Millbrook, St.John, Sheviock, Crafthole, Antony & Whitsand Bay itself are located here. The twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand are on eastern side of the Rame Head and offer a pair of shingle beaches to enjoy. The villages are home to a number of pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops and with their twin sheltered beaches and rockpools, are popular with families. Cawsand and Kingsand are located just near Mount Edgumbe and the Cremyll foot ferry linking Cornwall to Devon at Plymouth as it has done for centuries. They are very sheltered with Rame Head to the west and Picklecombe Point to the east.

The South West Coastal Path

Walk along The South West Coastal Path and discover the wonderful little coves and small beaches along the route. Beautiful short and long walks can be taken along this path from Looe. Walk Westward towards Talland Bay with beautiful views of Looe Island and back towards Rame Head or head off in the direction of Rame Head, passing the beaches of Plaidy, Millendreath, Downderry and Portwrinkle.

Tide Times and Weather Forcast

For tide times click here and for a five day weather forcast click here

Contact Details
Westcliff Bookings & Enquiries Office
5 Carlyon Close, Off Meadow Road, Lanreath, Cornwall, PL13 2FB
Telephone : +44(0)1503 221073
Email : westcliffbookings@hotmail.co.uk
Website : www.westclifflooe.com

Mrs H Stephens, Lampark, Washford, Watchet, Somerset, TA23 0LB, UK
Tel: 01984 641497, 07795 608045
International Tel: 0044 1984 641497
hilary@lampark.co.uk