Looe Beach

The beach in East Looe sits directly in front of the old town, sheltered from the west by the famous Banjo Pier and overlooked from the east by the hillside of Mount Ararat. Whatever reservations you may have about the town itself, East Looe beach is a good family beach that has something for everyone.

At low tide there is a large gently sloping sandy beach which is generally safe for swimming, although it is not recommended to swim by the river mouth beyond the pier. The beach backs on to a seafront walkway which runs the length of the beach all the way to ‘Second Beach’ just to the east. The rock / sand beach here is a great spot to get away from the crowds and good for snorkelling.

Being situated so close to Looe town centre has its good and bad points. There are plenty of facilities, including toilets and cafes, practically on the beach. The major drawback is that Looe is a very popular resort town and in the summer the beach is incredibly busy. Also access is generally by foot as traffic is prohibited from the town centre in the summer and the nearest parking (if you can find any) is a considerable walk.

On the other side of the Banjo Pier is the Looe River and the harbour. Whilst some will be happy to cast off the pier or riverside there are no shortage of excursions and angling trips. In fact Looe is the headquarters of the Shark Fishing Club of Great Britain for those looking for something a little more adventurous.