Looe in Cornwall

Looe in Cornwall attracts visitors year after year because it offers something special to people of all ages. Quaint streets, safe sandy beaches, rock pools, sea fishing, diving, sailing, boating, golf, and much more. Or for the simple things in life – the pleasure of eating a Cornish pasty, catching crabs on the quay-side or watching the returning fishing fleet unload their catch – Looe has it all!

If you like to explore further afield, Polraen Country House Hotel is an ideal touring base and within easy reach of the Eden Project (35 mins by car), historic houses and gardens such as The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Lanhydrock and Cotehele and the long sandy beaches at Whitsand Bay.

The 5 minute journey from our location at Sandplace into Looe on the Looe Valley Line is one of the great highlights about staying at Polraen as you can spot the hotel (a bit like the Railway Children!) and see wildlife and birds from the train as it skirts the river bank just above the water line into Looe. Few country houses offer such convenient access to Looe without the need to use a car.

Looe has acquired worldwide fame as the centre for shark angling in Britain. Boats may be chartered for this and mackerel and bottom fishing. Martin has had much success bass fishing and is an experienced fly fisherman so he can share a few stories and tips on good locations for both saltwater and fly fishing in the area.

We can also help you uncover the fascinating world along the Looe shoreline as we are active volunteers within the Voluntary Marine Conservation Area for Looe, managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. They organise wonderful rock shore rambles, snorkelling safaris and events to help visitors understand the importance of the marine heritage that sits along the Looe shore line and we have had the privilege to be involved in seal surveys, beach clean ups and audits of the rocky shoreline. You can also take a trip to St George’s island – a nature reserve managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust located just off the Looe coastline.

A range of boat and canoe trips is available in both the Looe and Fowey River estuaries from up river, or to points along the coastline. And now there is a wide range of first class Holiday Activities in Cornwall which you can book and pay for online in advance of your visit, via the services of Active-8 – a local company which arranges and books activities often at the same price as direct booking. They cater for families, singles, couples & groups and for beginners to experts alike. From coasteering in Cornwall to canoeing to horse riding and helicopter flights, they have something for everyone!