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Looe Island, Looe

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#3 of 17 in Things to do in Looe

Looe Island, also known as St George's Island, and historically St Michael's Island is a small island a mile from the mainland town of Looe off Cornwall, England.According to local legend, Joseph of Arimathea landed here with the child Christ. Some scholars, including Glyn Lewis, suggest the island could be as Ictis, the location described by Diodorus Siculus as a centre for the tin trade in pre-Roman Britain.The island is now owned and managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust charity where access is carefully managed for the benefit of wildlife and landing is only possible via the Cornwall Wildlife Trust authorized boatman. The waters around the island are a marine nature reserve and form part of the Looe Voluntary Marine Conservation Area . First established in 1995, the Looe VCMA covers nearly 5 km of coastline and aims to protect the coastal and marine wildlife around Looe.HistoryPeople have been living on Looe Island since the Iron Age. Evidence of early habitation includes pieces of Roman amphorae as well as stone boat anchors and Roman coins. In the Dark Ages, the island was used a seat of early Christian settlement. The child Jesus was believed to have visited the Island with his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, who traded with the Cornish tin traders. Therefore, Looe Island became a place of pilgrimage for early Christians and a small thatched roofed chapel was built there during this time.

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Looe Island Reviews

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125 reviews

158Trojan

July 16, 2017

Been visiting Looe all my life (have relatives there) & never visited. Boat ride out very casual in terms of time set off & safety instruction; but that is the Cornwall l love. Landed in the Island an... more »
jshjtill

July 12, 2017

Looe Island is a very special place-tranquil on the beach side,dramatic on the wild seaward side,atmospheric at the Chapel site,with glorious views from the summit.There is always a warm welcome from ... more »
PlanetAlison

July 11, 2017

What a jewel! We took the boat from Looe and 15mins later we disembarked on the Island. We're met and given information about the island before setting off. It's totally charming, quaint and unspoilt ... more »

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