Coastwalk

Polperro → East Looe

Distance: 5.64 miles
Ascent: 236 metres
Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes

Two fishing villages
« Polruan | Portwrinkle »

And so to finish our walking this week with a piece of coast that neither of us knows.

Polperro and Looe are both fishing settlements, but there's no question in my mind that Polperro is the superior of the two. Looe may be more accessible, larger and more "happening", but the gentle confidence of Polperro won me over. Even though we were only there for a few minutes, the sense of community was inescapable, yet in Looe it was missing altogether (replaced by a tacky tourist-hungry feeling).

The path between Polperro and Looe was more popular than any other path we've been on this week. Dozens of folk were out exploring the coastline, the cream tea shops doing a roaring trade. (I can second my boss's recommendation of the Talland Bay Café.)

In the last field before Hannafore on the outskirts of Looe, we noticed a sign pointing towards a Celtic chapel some way up the hill. All that remains of Lamanna Chapel is the outline of the walls, but it makes an excellent picnic spot and its commanding view across to Looe Island, and the sweep of Whitesand Bay beyond was delightful and comforting.

It's been another hot day, so we were glad to not rush or try to go further. We'll be back to complete the walk into Plymouth sometime next year instead.