Getting There
Just east of Looe & Polperro, the coastal villages of Millendreath, Seaton & Downderry offer beaches, great places to eat, walking, cycling & water-sports.
By Car: Take the B3253 in the direction of Hessenford – if you plan on visiting Millendreath, just after you pass The Coddy Shack restaurant, take the right-hand turn which is signposted to Millendreath, this road leads all the way to the resort with parking on your right just prior to the beach.
To continue onto Seaton & Downderry, you will need to return in the same direction back to the main B3253, turning right at the T-junction and following this road all the way until the village of Hessenford (at Widegates, the road becomes the A387) . Turn right, just before you reach The Copley Arms pub onto the B3247 – this takes you all the way to Seaton and its beach (parking is on the left).
You can either leave your car at Seaton and walk the short distance along the sea wall & beach to Downderry, or continue driving onto Downderry itself (parking is more limited).
If you are looking for a longer day out, you can continue along the coastal road and then link up with our suggested visits to Rame Head and the villages of Kingsand & Cawsand
The local bus service serves both Seaton & Downderry and you can view the routes & timetable on the website for Plymouth City Bus.
If you enjoy walking, all three villages can be reached via the SW Coastal Path (covered by the section Polperro to Portwrinkle) It is possible to catch the No 72 bus in one direction if you only feel like walking one way (note, the bus serves Seaton & Downderry)
What’s To See & Do?
- Beaches – all three villages have beaches to enjoy. Millendreath has a mainly sandy beach that offers great rock pooling when the tide is out, as well as a sea-pool. Seaton is a shingle/sandy beach with a variety of places to eat & drink; Downderry has a more rocky foreshore with some sandy stretches, ideal for rock pooling. (Both Seaton & Downderry’s beaches are dog-friendly year-round, Millendreath has seasonal restrictions from May 1st – 30th September).
- Water-Sports – Located at Millendreath Beach, Sea Explorers hire out stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, body boards & seascooters.
- Seaton Valley Country Park – is a beautiful stretch of woodland, through which with Seaton River flows. There are picnic spots and a sensory garden too. You can undertake the easy circular walk (which takes around 2 hours 20mins) to the village of Hessenford – where you can have a pub lunch at the Copley Arms (see below).
- Wild Futures – located between Millendreath & Seaton, come & see the beautiful monkeys at Wild Futures – Monkey Sanctuary; great for kids and adults alike.
- Walking – as mentioned above, this is a beautiful stretch of the SW Coastal Path, looking back across Looe Bay towards Looe (St. George’s Island.
- Cycling – Seaton Valley has a 24 km cycle path and E-Foil Cornwall offer E-Bikes for hire which are ideal to rent for a day in the saddle.
Where to Eat & Drink
It’s all about the beaches & views for great places to eat & drink in Millendreath, Seaton & Downderry. These are a few that have caught our attention or we’ve have had direct feedback about.
Before you reach the first beach at Millendreath, The Coddy Shack is THE places for fish & chips (eat in & take away). In Millendreath itself, the Beach Bar opens daily from 10am-11pm (Apr-September). A little further along the road, in the village of Widegates, one of the best breakfasts around is at the Tredinnick Farm Shop
The Copley Arms is fantastic & historic village pub in Hessenford which serves great food; in Seaton the Smuggler’s Inn offers both eat-in and take-away facilities, right opposite the beach.
In Downderry, the vegetarian cafe Summik Different also serve wonderful coffee & cake and for stunning views, Inn On The Shore has a fantastic decking area right over the foreshore.
Are we missing something ?
If you feel we’ve missed any gems on our Millendreath, Seaton & Downderry post – could be an amazing view point or a great place to enjoy a meal – please let us know.
Drop us an email and we will add the details into our Blog.