I'm going to Looe, Cornwall
 

My sister has just bought a holiday cottage in Looe, Cornwall. I'm going to spend 5 days there in early July. It is years since I've been to Cornwall and not on this coast. What should I do and look out for?

What are your likes? You will be very near Fowey, a pretty town with Daphne du Maurier connections, nice shops and restaurants, also the still-working fishing village of Polperro.

I'm not much of a walker but the coastal path from Looe to Polperro is fairly easy and very beautiful, particularly Lulworth Cove. You are close to Lanhydrock House, an interesting National Trust property, and close to Bodmin Moor.

There are beaches, wind-surfing, small boat tours all along the coast. Looe itself is terribly crowded in summer with not great management of trash the last time I was there. Its setting is beautiful. Both Looe and Polperro have lots of tourist tat on offer with a few nice galleries tucked in among the junk.

A bit farther west are the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, one of my favorites.

I've had some great holidas in Cornwall.

Another vote for the walk along the coastal path to Polperro and back. Did it years ago as a kid and again a few years ago - still as good.

I've done the Lulworth walk when I used to live in Dorset. I think it is a fair bit from Cornwall

Sorry, wrong cove, it's Talland on the Polperro walk, pretty little beach.

Trawlers Fish restaurant on the quayside is very good. There is also a great fishmongers in the quayside fish market where you can buy your fish , crab etc, for eating at your cottage - it doesn't get any fresher!

If you're near Fowey, then not far from St. Mawes, also possibly Falmouth.

Been to Looe, but the tide was out so not so scenic that day.

Well it rained guys, actually it didn't just rain it poured and poured. Still walked around Looe which is pretty in a fish and chips with beach gear and few high class shops kind of way. Evening was not improved by the numbers of smoking 30 something men hanging around in the streets looking for similar in female. (when did we Brits become so ugly on holiday??)

Local restaurant Zute was a passable Italian Tapas (i know) run by a cousin of my sister's step daughter's husband (so basically familly in Cornwall). But we had a very good meal at the Plough in Duloe.

Drove down to St Ives and caught the train from St Erth station (as there is so little parking in town) very friendly bunch on the train. St Ives have loads of shops selling pasties (not the best), fish and chips and "art". Still we went around the Tate, not over impressed, had some American (Alex Katz, come the revolution there will be a bonfire of his work) artist exhibition which lacked any skill but they also had the european art that had influenced him the most (some great pieces) but not very well presented. Go for the view and the cake is my opinion.

The high spot was my trip to the Lost Gardens and in particular the jungle area with some fine waterfalls of lily pads (almost as pretty as the Monet garden). Good walled gardens, Italian gardens and a tidy bird obscured bird feeding area with video cams showing owls nesting, bats rosting etc. Worth the £10 entrance fee, you get a free compass and the tea room is good value.

I also managed to get Mrs Bilbo (wrapped up against the weather) to go to the Eden Project with a half price ticket (only £23 each normally! £23 !) impressive if a bit dis-orientating. If you get to go, go early and try to get onto the upper platform in the left hand biodome before they close (if it gets too hot they have to close this for safety) then work your way back down through the others. Food delivery should be fantastic given the numbers going through the place, we found it disorganised and clumsy but I think this was down to a lot of new summer-school staff.

Did I mention it rained.

And its still raining - drier tomorrow and possibly sunday (what a wash out - what a summer). Its years since I've been to Looe (perhaps I should see the doctor).

How did you get half price tickets to the Eden Project please?

I think the Daily Telegraph was offering them.

Sorry about the rain. So glad you liked Heligan, my favorite in that area.