The vibrant, historical, and nautical city of Plymouth sits as it's name suggests at the mouth of the River Plym in south west corner Devon, bordered on it's west by the River Tamar, which also marks the ancient boundary between Devon and Cornwall.
Plymouth is probably most famous for being the place where Vice Admiral Sir Francis Drake confidently continued his game of bowls on the stunning headland known as The Hoe, and contemplated the defeat of the mighty Spanish Armada, as it sailed into the English Channel in a vain attempt to conquer Britain in 1588, and also for being the port of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers when they left on the tiny sailing ship Mayflower to colonise America in 1620. Anthropologist, Charles Darwin was yet another to sail from the port in 1831, heading for the Galapagos Islands, where he formulated his then controversial 'Origin of the Species' theories.
There are now many cities and towns bearing the name Plymouth spread throughout the world, undoubtedly as a direct homage to the courageous forefathers of the original Plymouth here in Devon.
Plymouth and it's docks, or Devonport as the dockland area is known as, has long been one of Britain's major naval bases, and consequently suffered severe bombing and destruction at the hands of the German Luftwaffe during World War Two, and for this reason, much of the vibrant city we see today is very modern, with spectacular new buildings such as the £220m Drakes Circus Shopping Centre and the not to be missed National Marine Aquarium .
Visitors to Plymouth will probably be amazed to see how comfortably these modern buildings and attractions sit alongside the quaint and quirky older parts of the city, such as Plymouth's famous Barbican area, with it's tiny shops and pubs like Dragon Corner and Cap'n Jaspers and it's more artistic attractions such as the Barbican Glass Works and Art 2 Frame , originally the Annex Gallery and studio of controversial Plymouth artist Robert Lenkiewicz.
With such strong nautical connections it's easy to see why visitors to Plymouth want to get involved with the sea, and activities such as wind surfing , scuba diving , sailing , and fishing trips are all readily available down by it's shoreline.
There is always plenty to see and do in Plymouth by day, and at night time the city simply bursts into life. For the young at heart there are clubs such as C103 , Jesters and The Quay Club and Plymouth even has a ski slope for the truly courageous. And for those who prefer rather less strenuous entertainment, there are a variety of theatres such as the Theatre Royal , Plymouth Pavilions and Barbican theatres, and of course the Myvue Cinema Complex .
And if you work up an appetite through all this exciting activity, or just 'feel a bit peckish', there are numerous restaurants in the city, serving just about every variety of food you can imagine, from excellent traditional cuisine at Tanners Restaurant to delicious Italian food at Café Strega to mouth-watering Indian dishes at Eastern Eye to inviting The Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant.
Plymouth really is a vibrant and beautiful city, and if you are considering a self catering holiday in South West Devon, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't consider looking at Plymouth. And even if you prefer slightly more rural or tranquil surroundings, Plymouth is surrounded by the beautiful countryside and villages of the South Hams, just a few minutes drive from the city centre.
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