What makes Plymouth a great destination
TimeOut recently published its list of 14 most underrated travel destinations around the world. Plymouth was ranked no.7 in the world, and no.1 in the UK!
Plymouth is also ranked as:
- No.1 most relaxing city in the UK (Goodrays, 2022)
- No.2 most sustainable city in the UK (Sustainable Cities, 2022)
- No.3 safest city for international students in England (Study International, 2022)
- No.4 most active city in the UK (Blacks, 2022)
- Top 10 most popular cities in England (YouGov, 2022)We know why Plymouth is so amazing, but do you?
Check out our top places to go and things to do in our sunny* seaside city. As we’re no.7 in the world, here are seven places and things that make Plymouth outstanding!
1. Plymouth Hoe & Drakes Island
The Hoe is a sweeping section of Plymouth, running from the Barbican all the way to West Hoe near Millbay Docks. The Hoe is an iconic landmark in Plymouth.
Here you can find:
- The towering stripy lighthouse, Smeaton’s Tower
- The Promenade which plays home to One Big Summer and previously MTV Crashes Plymouth sees worldwide headline acts like Charli XCX, Clean Bandit, and Jax Jones
- The epic British Fireworks Championships in August
- Tinside Lido, the outdoor pool with an amazing view
- multiple cafés and restaurants
- West Hoe Adventure Park
- Drakes Island, previously a Ministry of Defence base and now an adventure and exploring island, soon to be developed into a resort.
2. Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor is just a nine-minute drive from Marjon and has some of the most stunning scenery and walks in the UK. From craggy peaks to waterfalls to tors, Dartmoor covers a huge 368 square miles and there are so many opportunities for an adventure!
3. The Barbican & Sutton Harbour
The Barbican is a historic and exciting area. Based on the cobbled Southside Street, the area is filled with small shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars. The area is a bustling place for tourists and residents during the day and has an even more vibrant atmosphere at night.
Weekends can be packed full of events with the Pirate Weekend and Seafood Festival, and there are ferries and boats that can take you to local points of interest, including Drakes Island, Mount Edgcumbe, Mount Batten, and Cremyll.
4. City Centre
There isn’t time to be bored in Plymouth City Centre. Here you can find:
- Drake Circus shopping centre, your one-stop for clothes, health, beauty, and restaurants.
- The Barcode, complete with restaurants, Cineworld 12-screen cinema, adventure golf, and Boom Battle activity bar.
- Theatre Royal, a place where culture and arts come alive.
- Plymouth Pavilions, a hub for music and comedy.In addition to all this, there are loads of cultural, arts, food, and music events that take place every year including the Flavour Fest food festival, Armed Forces Day, Plymouth Pride, and the West End Carnival.
5. Royal William Yard
This expansive and extraordinary site sits alongside the mouth of the River Tamar and is a great place to be. From boutique shops to restaurants to bars and cafes, this eye-grabbing location is ideal for an evening meal and drinks out, or coffee and a croissant in the morning.
Royal William Yard was formerly a group of military buildings. The site is Grade One listed and was built in the 1800s.
6. The Box Museum & Gallery
The former Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery closed in 2016 to make way for the £46 million refurbishment and development which created The Box.
The Box opened in 2020 and showcases a variety of exhibitions each year, alongside information and artefacts about Plymouth. The stunning new building has been referred to as an ‘archive in the sky’.
7. National Marine Aquarium
Plymouth’s National Marine Aquarium, the UK’s largest aquarium, opened in 1998 and has played an impressive and key role in marine education and development in the city. Home to over 4,000 creatures, the Aquarium is an important education, research, and tourist hub.
The Aquarium plays a role in the Ocean Conservation Trust, working to develop our underwater environments and preserve natural oceanic wildlife.
What else do you love about Plymouth? Let us know in the comments!
*We cannot guarantee the sunshine!
Post authored by:
Patrick Owen
Press & Public Relations Officer
Plymouth Marjon University
