Looe (Cornish: Logh) is a small coastal town and fishing port in the south-east of Cornwall, UK, with a population of 5,280.
The town is clustered around a small harbour and along a steep-sided valley, Looe is in fact two towns, East Looe and West Looe, connected by bridge across the River Looe which flows between them, to reach the sea beside a sandy beach. The River has two main branches, the East Looe River and the West Looe River. The eastern tributary has its source near St Cleer and flows south, passing close to the western outskirts of Liskeard. South of Liskeard, the Looe Valley Railway Line follows the course of the river to Looe. The western tributary has its source near Dobwalls.
About 1 mile to the west, opposite the stonier Hannafore beach, lies St. George's Island, commonly known as Looe Island. Until recently it was owned (and inhabited) by two sisters, Babs and Evelyn Atkins, who have made a gift of the island to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust in perpetuity.
With frost and snow virtually unknown it has an exceptionally mild climate. Daffodils bloom at Christmas and, unlike most small islands, it is partly wooded. A natural sanctuary for sea and woodland birds and one time haunt to smugglers, its history includes a Benedictine chapel built in 1139 of which only a few stones remain visible. Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea landed here with the child Christ.
Looe is a thriving a fishing port and several fish merchants operate from the fish market of East Looe. With its fleet of small fishing boats returning their catches to port daily, ie ‘day caught fish, Looe has a reputation for producing excellent fresh fish. The town is also a centre for shark fishing, and is the home of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain.
Looe's main business is tourism, with a good selection of hotels, guest houses, camp sites and holiday homes, along with a large number of pubs, restaurants, and shops selling beach equipment, local gifts & produce like ice cream and Cornish pasties. Other local attractions include the beaches, sailing, fishing and diving, and spectacular coastal walks. In the area are several stately homes & National Trust properties, including Antony House, Cotehele, Mount Edgcumbe, and Lanhydrock House, as well as the Eden Project near St Austell.
Outside the busy summer months, the town remains a centre for shopping and entertainment for local villages. There is a tradition of the townsfolk wearing fancy dress on New Year's Eve, when the streets throng with revellers in inventive outfits. Looe is in the top 10 places in the UK to celebrate New Year.
East Looe
East Looe centres on its broad sandy beach, with the distinctive Banjo Pier, a new Lifeboat station and St. Mary's Church. Stretching back from the seafront is the original medieval street pattern of narrow streets called the backstreets and the centre of the business area of the town, packed with many small shops, restaurants and pubs, and the Old Guildhall, now a museum. Along the estuary lies the quay, with several fish merchants, fish restaurants and a fish monger. Towards the bridge lies the Victorian Guildhall, and just north of the bridge the railway station. The Looe Valley Line line connects with the main London, Plymouth to Penzance main line. On the hilltop above East Looe lies Shutta, said to be the original settlement and beyond that the Sunrising housing estate and Looe Community School.
West Looe
West Looe spreads west from the bridge on the Polperro Road towards Sclerder, and along the river south of the bridge, with hotels, restaurants and guest houses along the waterfront and houses climbing the perilous cliff above, towards a cluster of shops and businesses and the Church of St. Nicholas.
Further to south along the coast road is Hannafore Point, marking the edge of Looe Harbour, with to the west the wide, stony Hannafore beach, facing across a narrow channel to Looe Island. Beyond lies a coastal path leading to the hamlets of Porthallow and Talland, and from there on to Polperro.
On the high ground looking over the rest of both East and West Looe there are many modern houses and a recreational area called 'The Downs'.
Kilminorth Woods
Kilminorth Woods are the finest example of oak woodland in the West Looe Valley. These ancient woods are protected as a Local Nature Reserve because they are rich in woodland plants and wildlife. They also contain the fascinating Ancient Monument known as the Giant’s Hedge. Estuarine birds find rich pickings on the mudbanks and the riverside trees provide sanctuary to heron and little egrets.
 With a choice of signed trails you needn’t be a dedicated walker to get away from it all.
The Monkey Sanctuary is situated in beautiful woodlands overlooking Looe Bay. For many years the Sanctuary was dedicated to one species, the Amazonian woolly monkey, and was the first place in the world where these monkeys bred successfully outside of their native habitat. The Monkey Sanctuary Trust is a unique environmental charity dedicated to promoting the welfare, conservation and survival of primates, working to end the primate trade and abuse of primates in captivity, promoting the rehabilitation of captive primates and the preservation of those in the wild and operating a sanctuary for the conservation, preservation and welfare of wildlife and the environment.