Francis Drake supposedly spied the Spanish fleet from this grassy headland overlooking Plymouth Sound (the city's wide bay); the bowling green on which he continued to finish his game after the sighting was probably where his statue now stands. The wide villa-backed promenade features scores of war memorials.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.59 MILES
Looking like a cross between a lunar landing station and a James Bond villain's lair, the gigantic hemispherical greenhouses of the Eden Project have…
25.06 MILES
This magnificent manor, 2.5 miles southeast of Bodmin, offers a fascinating insight into Upstairs, Downstairs life in Victorian England. The house was…
24.57 MILES
High on Devon’s must-see list, the captivating summer home of crime writer Agatha Christie sits beside the placid River Dart. Part-guided tours allow you…
0.53 MILES
The UK's biggest – and perhaps best – aquarium is lodged beside the Barbican harbour. There's a huge amount to see, but the highlight is the impressive…
0.53 MILES
Around 60,000 tonnes of fish pass through this market, making it the second biggest by volume in England after London's Billingsgate. It's an amazing…
9.78 MILES
At the head of the Tamar Valley sits the Tudor manor of Cotehele, one of the Edgcumbe dynasty's modest country retreats. The cavernous great hall is the…
5.01 MILES
A great bulk of rock topped by a picturesque clifftop chapel, Rame Head is another of Cornwall's most majestic coastal viewpoints, with a jaw-dropping 360…
4.77 MILES
Small coves dot the coastline of the Rame Peninsula, but for a proper stretch of sand, this huge – and undervisited – bay is the place. Pronounced…
Nearby Plymouth attractions
0.04 MILES
The red-and-white stripes of Smeaton's Tower rise from the middle of the Plymouth Hoe headland. For an insight into past lighthouse keepers' lives, head…
0.05 MILES
A monument to one of Plymouth's most celebrated sons, Sir Francis Drake – the globetrotting explorer and hero of the battle against the Spanish Armada.
0.07 MILES
The immense Plymouth Naval Memorial commemorates Commonwealth WWI and WWII sailors who have no grave but the sea.
0.23 MILES
A huge, largely 17th-century fortress that occupies an imposing position on Plymouth Hoe. It's home to a regiment of Commando Gunners. You can only visit…
0.3 MILES
This heavily beamed distillery has been concocting gin since 1793, making it the oldest working producer of the spirit in England. Four to six tours per…
0.32 MILES
It's worth checking whether this fine half-timbered building has re-opened after essential repairs. The largest 17th-century house in Plymouth, it's…
0.34 MILES
Now severely faded, the vast painting covering an entire side of a three-storey house was created by Robert Lenkiewicz (1941–2002; www.robertlenkiewicz…
0.39 MILES
On the side of this old harbourside house, look out for a plaque bearing the names of the Pilgrims who set sail on the Mayflower in 1620 for what became…