Best Places to Visit Near Plymouth
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit near Plymouth are The Box, Elizabethan Gardens, Beatle Bums, Firestone Bay, Devil's Point Tidal Pool, Batten Bay, Barn Pool Beach and Cadover Bridge.
Plymouth spreads around one of the great natural harbours of the south-west, where the River Tamar meets Plymouth Sound and Devon gives way to Cornwall across the water. Most of these outings sit close to the centre, so you can string several together in a day.
In the heart of the city, The Box gathers the museum, gallery and archive under one roof, while down on the historic Barbican the walled Elizabethan Gardens hide behind old merchants' houses. Out on the Hoe, the quirky Beatle Bums seats are set into the lawn near Smeaton's Tower.
Round the western shore lie Firestone Bay and its Devil's Point tidal pool for a bracing swim, with Batten Bay across the Sound on the Mount Batten peninsula and Barn Pool over on the Cornish side below Mount Edgcumbe. Finally, a short drive north brings you to Cadover Bridge, where the River Plym runs shallow over granite on the edge of Dartmoor.
Museums, gardens, beaches, swimming spots and a moorland river all feature. Here are eight places to visit near Plymouth.
The Box
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
The Box Right in the city centre, The Box is Plymouth's main museum, gallery and archive, opened in 2020 across a set of linked buildings that tie the former city museum and library and St Luke's church to a large new extension. Its galleries range across art, natural history, archaeology and the story of the city, with major touring exhibitions and an archive study centre for researchers.
The sight that most people remember is the group of fourteen restored ships' figureheads hung high in the entrance hall. There is a cafe inside and a public square out front, and best of all, entry is free.
Elizabethan Gardens
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Elizabethan Gardens Tucked behind a row of sixteenth and seventeenth-century merchants' houses off New Street on the Barbican, this small walled garden is easy to miss. It was laid out in 1970 by the Plymouth Barbican Association in the style of a Tudor garden, built into the ruins of old cottages to mark 350 years since the Mayflower set sail.
Four linked garden rooms hold a box-hedged knot garden, a rose garden, a formal water garden with a round pool and a small lawn, along with a salvaged seventeenth-century doorway and a carved ship. Free to enter and pleasantly quiet, it is a hidden green corner in the heart of the old town.
Beatle Bums
Photo: David Hallam-Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Beatle Bums Over on Plymouth Hoe, near Smeaton's Tower, this bit of public art is worth seeking out for a smile. It is a row of copper seat imprints set flush into the lawn, shaped so that visitors can sit in them and recreate a photograph of the Beatles taken on the Hoe in 1967, during the filming of Magical Mystery Tour.
The Cornish metal sculptors Thrussell and Thrussell made the piece, which was installed in 2015. When nobody is perched in the seats, it lies almost level with the grass, so keep an eye out or you might walk straight past it.
Firestone Bay
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Firestone Bay On the western side of Plymouth Sound, this small pebble beach sits tucked below the Royal William Yard at Devil's Point. You reach it through a stone archway cut into the sea wall from the yard above.
Beside the beach lies a man-made tidal swimming pool, filled and emptied by the sea, which cold-water swimmers use right through the year. The outlook stretches across the Sound, though the currents around the point can run strong, so take care in the open water.
Close to the city yet feeling tucked away, it is a handy spot for a dip or a paddle within easy reach of the centre.
Devil's Point Tidal Pool
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Devil's Point Tidal Pool The tidal pool at Firestone Bay deserves a mention of its own for anyone keen on a proper swim. This saltwater pool sits right by the shore of Plymouth Sound, filled and flushed by the tide as it washes in and out.
Cold-water swimmers come here all year round, dipping while looking out toward Mount Edgcumbe and Drake's Island. Its exposed position below the Royal William Yard at Devil's Point means it takes a battering from the sea, and it was repaired and refreshed in 2024.
It makes a fine reward after a wander around the yard, and it is only minutes from the city.
Batten Bay
Photo: Matthew Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Batten Bay Across Plymouth Sound from the city waterfront, Batten Bay is a modest, sheltered strand of sand and shingle on the Mount Batten peninsula. Rock pools sit among the stones, and the view runs over the busy water toward Drake's Island and the Hoe.
Behind the beach the low peninsula reaches out to Mount Batten Point, crowned by a round stone tower, an old artillery fort from the 1650s that still keeps watch over the Sound. Boats and sailboards come and go, and a water taxi crosses to the Barbican.
Paths lead round the point past the tower for views in every direction, making it a fine spot on a working harbour.
Barn Pool Beach
Photo: Philip Halling via Geograph.org.uk
Barn Pool Beach Over on the Cornish side of Plymouth Sound, Barn Pool is a steep shingle beach below the woods and parkland of the Mount Edgcumbe estate. Banked pebbles drop away quickly into deep, sheltered water, a quiet anchorage that looks straight across the Sound to Drake's Island and the city beyond.
Behind rise the lawns, trees and old gardens of the country park, with picnic tables on the grass and paths leading off along the shore. Boats often lie at anchor in the pool offshore while ships and ferries pass out on the water.
Reached on foot through the estate, it is a calm, green corner facing a busy waterway.
Cadover Bridge
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Cadover Bridge A short drive north onto Dartmoor's edge brings you to Cadover Bridge, where the open moor gives way to a wooded valley and the River Plym runs shallow over gravel and granite. By the old road bridge the banks are grassy and gentle, with shallow pools that make it a favourite for families to paddle, picnic and swim on a warm day, though the water is cold and clear off the moor.
Below the bridge the Plym threads through ancient oak woods toward the crag of the Dewerstone, popular with climbers, while above, the moor opens out with tors and prehistoric remains. A car park sits by the bridge, with walks in every direction.
FAQs
What can you do in Plymouth city centre?
The Box, Plymouth's free museum, gallery and archive, is the obvious start, with fourteen restored ships' figureheads in its entrance hall. From there it is a short walk to the Elizabethan Gardens on the Barbican and the Beatle Bums seats on the Hoe.
Where can you swim near Plymouth?
Firestone Bay and the Devil's Point tidal pool draw cold-water swimmers by the Royal William Yard, while a short drive north brings you to Cadover Bridge, where families paddle and swim in the River Plym on the edge of Dartmoor.
Are there good beaches close to Plymouth?
Yes. Batten Bay sits across Plymouth Sound on the Mount Batten peninsula, and Barn Pool lies on the Cornish side below the Mount Edgcumbe estate, both quiet strands within easy reach of the city.
Conclusion
Few cities pack so much into such a small radius. In the centre you can move from The Box to the Elizabethan Gardens on the Barbican and the Beatle Bums seats on the Hoe in a single afternoon.
Around the Sound, Firestone Bay and its Devil's Point tidal pool tempt cold-water swimmers, while Batten Bay and Barn Pool offer sheltered strands on the Devon and Cornish shores. When you fancy a change of scene, a short drive north lands you at Cadover Bridge, where the River Plym runs off Dartmoor.
Museums and gardens, beaches and tidal pools, quirky public art and a moorland river all sit within easy reach, so whether you want a swim, a stroll or a slice of history, these are the places to visit near Plymouth.
