Why Plymouth...?

It was also from here that the Pilgrim Fathers eventually set sail in the 'Mayflower' for the 'Land of the Free', colonising America. As chance would have it, while heading for Virginia, they were blown off course, landing aptly in an already named small port near Cape Cod called...Plymouth! Not surprisingly, Plymouth has a very nautical feel to it, and the coastline is awash with small boats, yachts, ferries and ships of all shapes, sizes and nationalities. Plymouth also hosts a Formula One Super Boat Grand Prix during the Summer attracting many thousands of people from around the globe. If water sports is your thing, it will be here in some shape or form. The heart of the boating culture is found in the very attractive Barbican Area, which overlooks one of the many marinas. This is the most preserved area of the city (much of which was levelled by bombing during World war II) and still boasts the largest area of cobbled streeting in the country. On a nice day it is the ideal place to people watch and chill out, eating al fresco at one of the many and varied restaurants that line the marina. Over the years it has also attracted artists from around the world, and this area alone houses 14 galleries to date, including those of Beryl Cook, Robert Lenkiewicz and Brian Pollard.

World famous Plymouth Gin is still housed in its original distillery in the Barbican, and tours with the inevitable tasting is big hit with the backpackers.

On the other side of The Barbican sits the National Marine Aquarium where marine science and conservation sit side by side with pure entertainment - it is the largest aquarium in the UK and also the deepest in Europe, housing over 3000 marine animals in over 50 tanks! There is also a little known secret garden off the Barbican called The Elizabethan Garden. Even in the height of the tourist season, this gem gets overlooked, so if you are looking for a little calm and just a beautiful garden, this is for you!

Outside of London's west End, Plymouth has the best that Theatre has to offer in the country. Indeed many of the huge West end shows begin their life here, including Cats, The Mikado, Jerry Springer the Opera, and the world premier of Matthew Bourne's Scissorhands to name a few. The main Theatre is the Theatre Royal, but there are two others: The Athenaeum and the Barbican Theatre.

If music is more your thing, again, Plymouth has a thriving live music scene. The Pavillions attracts huge names from around the world including Faithless, Joss Stone, Girls Aloud, James Blunt, Motorhead, jack Johnson, Michael Bolton, Joan Armatrading and countless more covering all aspects of the music spectrum. There are also hundreds of smaller clubs, pubs, bars, and eateries offering a huge range of music from rock to pop and from jazz to classical and everything in between.

Sitting as it does, on the border of Devon and Cornwall, it is ideally situated betwixt the two most beautiful and most visited counties in the country. Many backpackers use Globe in Plymouth as a base to explore the amazing coastline either side of the city and National Parks within easy reach. For example, Dartmoor National Park is a short bus ride from here with its stark beauty, quintessential Devon villages, water falls and wild ponies covering a huge area. Heading the other way are the famous Cornish beaches where surfing is close to a religion, and of course the now world famous Eden Project, where anyone with a passion for gardens and architecture will find paradise!

Come on down and enjoy!!!

A few of the attractions...

A taste of the plethora of pubs and clubs...