A pier is a "walkway over water" and most seaside holiday piers are covered with traditional pier activities like amusements and rides. The Pier in Looe is very different and is a pier named because of its shape. It separates the beach area from the river and stops anyone in the water on the beach from straying into the path of the fishermen's boats and pleasure boat rides moving up the river to Looe Harbour.
At the end is a round with seating and a light to help boats navigate at night. There is a great view from the end of passing boats and if you're lucky you might see the odd seal.
The pier was built in 1890 and was designed to stop the sand from the beach travelling across the channel into the river and making it hard for boats to pass along.
There are no sides, no safety rails just a path and although it looks mildly scary to walk along, it isn't really and its quite wide. If there is a very high tide, or bad weather there is a gate at the beginning that the Coastguard shuts and no-one is allowed on. Its safe really! There is a fabulous ice cream shop near the start of it ( bubble gum or lemon meringue flavours were our favourites last summer!) and the walk to the end is just long enough to eat them.
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