22 things to do in Looe and nearby
Looe is a working fishing harbour split by the river into East and West Looe. Most of what visitors love — the beach, Banjo Pier, the quays, boat trips and the coast path — is within a short walk of the bridge, and the Beyond Paradise locations are woven through the same streets. Items marked Beyond Paradise appear on screen.
Banjo Pier & East Looe Beach Beyond Paradise
Beach / landmark
Looe's sheltered town beach sits right behind a pier whose round end gives it a banjo shape, an 1890s design copied elsewhere. Expect safe paddling, rock pools at the far end and the show's favourite bench views.
When & booking: Free, year-round. Seasonal dog restrictions on the main sand; dogs allowed on the little beach beside the pier.
On screen: Humphrey's thinking spot; Martha's yoga class and the S2 non-wedding on the sand.
Old Guildhall Museum & Gaol
Museum
A pocket-sized volunteer museum inside East Looe's Tudor-era guildhall, with two cramped prison cells downstairs and the original magistrates' bench upstairs, plus displays on smuggling, fishing, the RNLI and Looe Island.
When & booking: Easter to autumn, Mon-Fri 11:00-16:00 (closed weekends); adults £3, children free. Closed for 2026, reopens Easter 2027.
Looe Island (St George's Island) boat trip
Wildlife / boat trip
A Cornwall Wildlife Trust nature reserve half a mile offshore, reached only on official landing trips. A 20-minute crossing gives roughly two hours ashore among seabirds, woodland and grey seals.
When & booking: Late March to late October, tide and weather dependent; book via Looe Sea Safari. 2026 fares £22 adult / £12 child including landing fee. Departs pontoon near the East Looe lifeboat slipway.
Glass-bottom boat & coastal cruises
Boat trip
Short glass-bottomed boat runs circle Looe Island so you can peer down at fish, jellyfish and kelp, while longer trips follow the cliffs west to Polperro. Seals often haul out on the island rocks.
When & booking: Mainly spring to autumn, weather permitting; board on East Looe quay. Pay on the quay or book ahead in peak season.
Fishing trips & the Shark Angling Club
Sea fishing
Looe has been the base of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain since 1953, now a tag-and-release operation. Quayside skippers also run shorter mackerel and reef trips that suit beginners and families.
When & booking: Mostly summer; book on the quay or in advance for shark and wreck trips.
Hannafore Point & Hannafore Beach Beyond Paradise
Beach / rock pooling
A rocky West Looe shore facing Looe Island, where low tide uncovers a slate reef full of anemones, sponges and crabs. It's dog friendly all year, and the measured-mile towers stand on the slope above.
When & booking: Free, year-round. Limited roadside parking; Millpool is about a 10-minute walk.
On screen: One guide cites Series 4 walk-and-talk scenes here (low confidence).
Nelson the seal statue
Public art
A bronze of Nelson, the one-eyed grey seal who lived around the harbour for years, sits on the rocks below Hannafore Road opposite East Looe quay. Liskeard sculptor Suzie Marsh made it, and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston unveiled it in 2008.
When & booking: Free, always visible; best photographed from the West Looe side at mid to low tide.
Looe Harbour Heritage Centre (Old Sardine Factory) Beyond Paradise
Heritage centre / cafe
Hands-on displays, an image library and oral-history films on the West Looe quay explain the town's pilchard trade with Italy, Newfoundland cod voyages and fishing families. A coffee shop serves cream teas downstairs.
When & booking: March to October. Starting point for the Brit Movie Tours walk.
On screen: The building and neighbouring Sardine Factory restaurant became Ten Mile Kitchen from Series 3.
St Nicholas' Church, West Looe
Historic church
A small Grade II* quayside church dating from the 13th or 14th century. During the Commonwealth it became West Looe's guildhall and lock-up, and it was only restored to worship in 1852.
When & booking: Usually open in daytime; free (donations welcome).
The Jolly Sailor, West Looe
Historic pub
Said to date from 1516 and among Cornwall's oldest inns, this low-beamed West Looe pub has stories of smugglers and is the Looe stop on the Looe Valley Line rail ale trail.
When & booking: Open year-round; book for food in summer.
Looe Valley Line
Scenic railway
A half-hour branch line from Liskeard that winds down a wooded valley and alongside the tidal river to Looe, calling at tiny halts such as St Keyne Wishing Well. Leaving the car at home makes it a pleasant day out.
When & booking: About hourly Mon-Sat all year; Sunday trains roughly Easter to early November only; no trains 25-26 Dec.
South West Coast Path to Polperro
Coastal walk
Around five miles of switchback clifftop path from Hannafore via Talland Bay to Polperro harbour, with Looe Island behind you and a beach cafe roughly halfway. Catch the bus back from Crumplehorn.
When & booking: Year-round; allow 2.5-3 hours one way; strenuous in places.
Polperro
Village
A tight-packed fishing village of whitewashed cottages tumbling to a tiny harbour, four miles west of Looe. It has a heritage museum of smuggling and fishing, and the car park sits at the top of the village.
When & booking: Year-round; very busy in August, so arrive early or come by coast path or bus.
Talland Bay
Beach
A pair of small coves between Looe and Polperro with a beach cafe. Talland Church, with its detached tower and carved bench-ends, sits just above, and at low tide you can see the boiler of a 1922 French trawler wreck.
When & booking: Year-round; small, steep car park that fills in summer.
Kilminorth Woods
Woodland / nature reserve
An ancient oak wood and Local Nature Reserve along the West Looe River, a few minutes from Millpool. Paths pass sections of the Giant's Hedge, a Dark Age earthwork, and herons and woodpeckers are often seen.
When & booking: Free, year-round; 4-mile waymarked loop from Looe station; small car park by Millpool.
Seaton & Downderry
Beaches / countryside park
Long grey-sand beaches a short drive east of Looe, linked by the coast path, with the Seaton Valley Countryside Park running inland. They're quieter than Looe and good for a dog walk or beach cafe stop.
When & booking: Year-round; check dog restrictions in summer.
Duloe Stone Circle
Prehistoric site
Cornwall's smallest stone circle, made of eight chunky white quartz stones in a field by the B3254 about five miles north of Looe. It takes a few minutes but is worth stopping for on the way to Liskeard.
When & booking: Free, open access, signposted field; limited roadside parking.
Adrenalin Quarry
Adventure activities
A flooded quarry near Liskeard with a twin zip wire nearly 500m long, a giant swing, an inflatable aquapark, go-karting, axe throwing and wild swimming. It's about twenty minutes' drive from Looe.
When & booking: Fri-Sun 10:00-16:00; aquapark closes after October half term; book activities ahead.
East-West Looe passenger ferry Beyond Paradise
Ferry crossing
A little boat that shuttles foot passengers across the harbour between West Looe's quay steps and East Looe. It saves the walk round by the bridge and is a fun way to split a self-guided location walk.
When & booking: Seasonal and tide dependent (mainly around high water); pay on board, small fare.
On screen: Echoes Kelby's boat crossing in the S1 opener; the bestincornwall trail suggests it as a shortcut.
Millpool & West Looe riverside Beyond Paradise
Riverside / walks
The tidal Millpool basin in West Looe holds the big car park, the library and tourist information point, and the start of the riverside path into Kilminorth Woods. Swans and moored boats make it a gentle stroll.
When & booking: Year-round; low-lying and can flood on big spring tides with onshore winds.
On screen: Visit Looe's Shipton Abbott trail starts at the tourist information point here.
Beyond Paradise guided walking tour Beyond Paradise
Guided tour
Ninety-minute guided walks follow Shipton Abbott through Looe's lanes and quays, from the Sardine Factory to the Guildhall police station, with behind-the-scenes stories and plenty of local history along the way.
When & booking: Brit Movie Tours public walks March-October (Wed, Fri, Sun); private tours all year; Lucy Daniel Guide year-round. Book ahead.
On screen: See practical.walkingTours for details.
Pentillie & Tamar Valley location day Beyond Paradise
Day trip
Inland, the wooded Tamar Valley holds Anne Lloyd's riverside cottage at Pentillie, Calstock's viaduct and quay, and the Weary Friar pub. It makes a satisfying half-day loop by car from Looe.
When & booking: Pentillie is private (stay in Quay Cottage or join an organised tour); Calstock and the pub are public.
On screen: Core recurring locations.
Off to the beach? See our guide to Looe beaches, and for lunch try our Looe pubs and restaurants list.
Things to do in Looe when it rains
Head for the Looe Harbour Heritage Centre in the Old Sardine Factory, take the Looe Valley Line to Liskeard and its museum, book a seafood lunch on the quay, or drive 25 minutes to the Tamar Valley and Port Eliot (check opening first). The Old Guildhall Museum is closed in 2026 and due to reopen at Easter 2027.
Looe tourist information
Looe Tourist Information Centre: Ground floor, Looe Library & Community Hub (Looe Town Council building), Millpool, West Looe, PL13 2AF. Phone 01503 262255. Mon & Fri 9:30-13:00; Tue & Thu 9:30-17:00; Sat 10:00-14:00 (Wed/Sun not listed - assume closed). Unstaffed information trailer in the car park opposite the library, daily 9am-5pm in summer, weather permitting.
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Harbour and heritage
Start with the working waterfront and a local heritage route. Give fishing operations space and check museum or venue opening.
Coast and nature
Weather, tides and path conditions matter. Use official safety advice and never assume a screen location is publicly accessible.
Spend locally
Independent cafés, shops and year-round attractions help make a fan visit useful to the community rather than a quick photo stop.
Quick answers
What is there to do in Looe, Cornwall?
Walk out along Banjo Pier and relax on East Looe Beach, take a boat trip to Looe Island nature reserve, walk the South West Coast Path to Polperro, ride the scenic Looe Valley Line, explore the Heritage Centre in the Old Sardine Factory, and follow the Beyond Paradise filming locations around the harbour.
Can you walk from Looe to Polperro?
Yes. The South West Coast Path runs about five miles from Hannafore in West Looe via Talland Bay to Polperro. It is hilly and takes most walkers two and a half to three hours; buses link Polperro and Looe if you only want to walk one way.
Is Looe worth visiting?
Yes — it is one of Cornwall’s prettiest working harbours, with a sheltered sandy beach, good seafood, boat trips, coastal walks and a scenic branch railway. Beyond Paradise fans also get the real Shipton Abbott police station, quay and pier within a short walk.
What can you do in Looe when it rains?
Visit the Looe Harbour Heritage Centre in the Old Sardine Factory (March–October), take the Looe Valley Line, have a long seafood lunch on the quay, or drive to Port Eliot, the Tamar Valley or Liskeard Museum. Check opening times first, as several attractions are seasonal.