Visiting Plymouth

Hello again, travellers! In my previous post I talked about my experience living in Plymouth, and everything the city has to offer in terms of lifestyle. Now, however, I'd like to write about tourism in Plymouth, and what tourist attractions should not be missed if you are planning on taking a trip here. So, without further delay, here's a list based of off my experience in this city.

What to see in Plymouth

There are several places that you can't miss out on in Plymouth, such as:

• Plymouth Hoe

As it couldn't be any other way, this post simply had to head to ​​Plymouth Hoe, which, due to its excellence, is the most famous tourist attraction in the city. It is a large, green outdoor area that is located right on the city's seafront. The most famous monument in all of Plymouth, so much so that it has become the symbol of the city, is the lighthouse that is located on the edge of the cliff. It's very striking, with white and red stripes. In the summer many events are held here, such as the MTV's open-air concert, and it's a place that generally has a great atmosphere. As it's a very peaceful place, locals and visitors alike tend to lie on the grass to soak up the views, have a picnic, or just hang out with friends. I recommend you go for a walk along the cliffs. In summer there are plenty of ice cream stands and restaurants that give it a great atmosphere.

• The Barbican

The Barbican is part of Plymouth Harbour, and is certainly my favourite place in the city. Not only because it's very quiet and near the sea, but also because it's the prettiest area of ​​Plymouth (at least I think so). It's a place that tourists, as well as locals, often visit, and as such you'll find a lot of things to do in Barbican, especially if you fancy popping into one of the many coffee shops, restaurants, and food stalls. From fish & chips to ice cream parlours and hot dogs, you'll find lots of places to visit here.

Something that I love about the small streets of the Barbican harbour area are the many local stores selling artisanal products, especially art (and especially galleries), or accessories. If you have a nice time, you can put aside some time to visit this part of Plymouth to browse the windows of these little shops. You'll definitely find a unique souvenir worth buying.

In Barbican you'll also find the Plymouth Gin factory, which was one of the most important gin brands in the country. Today you can still visit, if you're interested you can even go on a tour. It costs £8. 50, and lasts about 40 minutes.

• Plymouth National Aquarium

I'm not a massive fan of aquariums, and I haven't visited one for a long time. Still, I thought it was essential that the Plymouth National Marine Aquarium was on this list because it is the largest in the United Kingdom - and it's incredible. It's located at the end of the port, so if you walk along the cliff like I mentioned before, you'll end up in the aquarium. It's a huge building and from the outside, the architecture is really cool, especially because of its shape and the fact it seems to reflect the exterior.

The National Aquarium is open from 10 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. Typically, the entry price is about £17. You can walk there with no problems, go by car (although you will have to pay for parking), or you can catch the bus to the Barbican, but there's no bus that will drop you off outside the door of the aquarium.

How to get to Plymouth

You can get to Plymouth by taking the train from virtually anywhere, due to the fact Plymouth is quite well connected. From London it takes about 3 and a half hours.

If you are travelling from Spain and are wanting to start your trip a little less typically, there's a ferry route that leaves Santander for Plymouth. It takes about 16 hours. This option can be a bit of burden since it takes a long time and can be expensive, but it's still very fun. I went by ferry because I had a massive pile of suitcases, and I really enjoyed it but it does make the trip feel long sometimes.

Although Plymouth, as you might have noticed after reading this post, has no monuments as such, and therefore it may not seem like much of a tourist destination or you may think it's not worth visiting. However, I assure you that if you spend a couple of days here, you won't regret it at all. Not only is it a city full of life with lots to do, but as it's also so peaceful, you'll really enjoy the landscapes (especially in places close to the sea) and everything else Plymouth has to offer.