What to see and do in South East Cornwall

Whitsand Bay A 3-mile stretch of sand. Surfing for experienced surfers. Includes Tregantle, a long stretch of beach that is popular with families and surfers. Facilities:- Lifeguards (Tregantle during August only), Tregonhawke June - Sept, Water safety information points.

Downderry is a wide sand-and-shingle beach with rock pools. Easy access and facilites nearby

Seaton This grey-sand beach is popular with families. At low tide the beach stretches to Downderry beach. Facilities:- cafe, toilets, pub and beach shop.

Looe The sandy beach is safe for children and has facilities nearby, no dogs allowed.

Talland Bay has two shingle beaches with sand at low tide and many rock pools to discover. Facilities:- Cafe, shop, parking nearby and easy access.

Lansallos is a very secluded beach with lovely rock pools for exploring and sand at low tide. A 10-minute walk from the National Trust car park in Lansallos.

Lantic Bay is a delightful, quiet sheltered cove with white sands and strong rip currents. It is reached by 20 minute walk along coastal path with a steep decent to the beach.

Plymouth Just over the Tamar is the historic city of Plymouth. There's lots to see, including: the 16th-century Merchant's House Museum; the Elizabethan House; the Mayflower Steps (the symbolic leaving point for the New World in 1620 by the Pilgrim Fathers) and the Hoe – where Sir Francis Drake played bowls while the Spanish Armanda prepared to invade England. Also visit the Barbican Glassworks or the Plymouth Gin Distillery.

National Marine Aquarium Visit the UK's leading aquarium, divided into six main zones containing 50 live exhibits and three massive tanks. Over 4,000 animals from 400 species are displayed in realistic habitats, from local shorelines to coral reefs. Plymouth.

St Mellion Golf and Country Club Play golf at the finest venue in Cornwall. The country club has two championship golf courses, which have hosted the Benson & Hedges International on six occasions. Restaurant also available to visitors. Saltash.

Tamar Valley Donkey Park Overlooking the Tamar Valley with views to Plymouth Sound, the Donkey Park is also home to goats, ponies, sheep, pigs, rabbits and more. Children can feed and pet the animals, ride the donkeys and play in the all-weather play barn. Near Callington.

Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park This stunning Tudor house is located on the Rame peninsula and has spectacular views over Plymouth Sound. The house was bombed in 1941 and restored between 1958 and 1964. It is beautifully furnished and includes 16th-century tapestries, 18th-century Chinese and Plymouth porcelain and paintings by great artists, such as Sir Joshua Reynolds. The grounds contain a Grade-1 historic garden and the national camellia collection. The park has remained famous since the 18th century for its landscaped gardens and atmospheric buildings, including a folly, sited throughout. Torpoint.

Antony House The 18th-century mansion is set in parkland with fine gardens overlooking the Lynher River. The gardens were landscaped by the renowned Georgian designer, Humphrey Repton, and contain the national collection of daylilies. There are many walks in the surrounding woods. The house is exceptional for the quality of its furnishings. Torpoint.

Cotehele House Built between 1485 and 1539 Cotehele was home to the Edgcumbe family for nearly 600 years. Surrounding the house are informal gardens and grounds that stretch down to a quay that was once a bustling river port. Secluded in the wooded Morden Valley are craftsmen's workshops and a working watermill, producing flour that is available to buy. Walk down to the quay on the river Tamar where you can take a boat trip. Near Saltash.
 

Looe Visit this delightful coastal village with its harbour quay and long harbour arm, called the banjo pier. Go on boat or fishing trips from the harbour, or the kids can fish for crabs off the quay. Take the boat to see the wildlife sanctuary of Looe Island, just off the coast, which housed a monastic community in medieval times. Travel by train from Looe to Liskeard on the scenic branch line. Sandy East Looe beach is a popular spot for families with children. The Old Guildhall, with its cannon at the front, dates back to about 1500 and now houses the museum.

The Monkey Sanctuary Since 1964 the Sanctuary has been home to a colony of rescued ex-pet Amazonian woolly monkeys, which are now joined by capuchins, patas monkeys and Barbary macaques. The monkeys live in an extensive territory formed of several grassed enclosures linked together with heated indoor rooms, set in the Sanctuary's beautiful conservation gardens. Also see the CCTV-linked bat cave, to catch a glimpse of the private lives of the resident colony of lesser horseshoe bats.

Polperro An enchanting and picturesque fishing village, once notorious for the activities of its smugglers. The harbour now provides a safe haven for fishing boats and pleasure craft. You can take the famous horse bus to the harbour. Visit the Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing. Enjoy Polperro Festival in June, with a week of music, arts and other events.

Bodmin Moor Designated an area of outstanding natural beauty, the moor attracts walkers and naturalists. The more remote parts are accessible only on foot or by horseback, using tiny tracks through the wild flowers and ponies. The moor is a walker's paradise and there's lots to see, including Golitha Falls and the famous ancient monuments, The Cheesewring, The Hurlers and Trethevy Quoit, as well as the Heritage Centre in a reconstructed mining engine house at Minions. Also visit Siblyback Reservoir for walking, sailing and windsurfing.