Local Area
Downderry is a beautiful, popular Cornish seaside village which enjoys breath-taking views of Looe Bay, the idyllic coastline and countryside. Downderry has good, local day-to-day facilities with a café, traditional inn with beach-front location, and the brand new "Bewsheas" tapas restaurant which also sells a few essential store items (milk, flour, etc) as a service to the village. For guests that enjoy walking, the coastal paths provide many opportunities with nearby Seaton, Looe, Talland Bay and the 13th century fishing village of Polperro all to the west and Portwrinkle, Whitsand Bay, Kingsand, Cawsand and the beautiful Rame Head to the East.
The house is high on a hill within an estate of swish modern homes, some of which are holiday homes, at the east end of Downderry. Step out into Downderry and immerse yourself in the blues of the coast line and the green rolling valleys and headlands.
Downderry Beach is long and is mostly shingle and rock which creates a vast number of interesting rock pools, with a few large patches of sand exposed at low tide. It is a great place to play and many days you will see surfing, kayaking, fishing, swimming or some other activity taking place, yet it is so large it is never feels crowded. The beach is also dog friendly.
Downderry has a small centre where you can enjoy tapas at Bewsheas restaurant, or good pub food or just a drink from the 'Inn on the shore'- over looking the beach. there is also a small café serving ice-creams and snacks. A short drive will take you to one of the many eateries or takeaways in the local villages (the Coddy Shack is our favourite for fish and chips). Seaton, which is a 1.5 mile walk along the beach from Downderry centre has one restaurant plus a pub which does food.
The South West Coastal Path runs through Downderry and along the Beach. The path, recently made even more famous by Raynor Wynn in her book “The Salt Path” leads you along some of the most beautiful cliff-top pathways hugging the coastline around the point towards Whitsand Bay to the east, or Seaton and Looe to the west.
Looe recently appeared on a TV series about fishing in Cornwall as it strives to save the tradition of catching, landing and selling fish on the same day by re-opening the quayside fish auction. Looe oozes Cornish charm, from the narrow streets of the old town, colourful fishing boats landing their daily catch (look out for the 'Jasmine', often seen catching crabs off Downderry beach), vast range of pubs and restaurants, steep sided valley and wide range of local, arty and souvenir shops.
The South Coast offers a large range of activities from a surf school at nearby Whitsand Bay, diving on the sunken ship off Downderry Beach or the scuttled HMS Scylla off Whitsand Bay, visiting quaint Polperro, golf, walking, sailing, fishing, shopping, or visiting the excellent National Trust and private gardens of The Eden Project, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Antony House, Cotehele, Mount Edgcumbe (actually a grade I listed house and gardens, not a mountain) and Port Eliot. Despite the name 'the forgotten corner of Cornwall', there is so much to see and do in the area. If you are keen to get the most out of your time here, immerse yourself in the coastal playground and green countryside. If day trips are on the agenda then maybe a visit the maritime town of Fowey which is well known for its colourful dinghies, perhaps the historic village of Charlestown known famously for its film set popularity including the more recent backdrop to BBC's Poldark or Plymouth with the largest aquarium in the country.
After a busy day, come back and relax in the peace and tranquillity of Looe Island View, have a drink on the terrace while your chef-for-the-day fires up the Weber kettle BBQ and you all enjoy the view of the sea in the setting sun.
