Looe. My Travels in Devon and Cornwall. Blog Post número cuatro.

Looe. Where do I even start? Beauty. It has everything a family day out would need. It has a tiny, cute little arcade but not with the ‘gambling’ vibes more like memorable family fun. There is a town on the cliff edge with shops selling souvenirs and fudge to a Boots in case you forgot your sun cream! Looe is a small coastal town with a fishing port located in South-East Cornwall, in England. Looe is 20 miles West of Plymouth and 7 miles South of Liskeard, divided in 2 by the River Looe. East and West Looe are connected by a bridge.

There are many beautiful and peaceful beaches within Looe. Some places that I personally enjoyed visiting was ‘East Looe Beach’, you can go swimming in the blue water but I usually see people go paddle-boarding and kayaking when the sea is calm. You can also travel to ‘St Georges Island’, which is equally as interesting, there is a boat at the top end of Looe which travels there for a small fee frequently when the sea is calm and it is definitely worth visiting! It is a wildlife trust island and marine reserve. You can also walk out to the island when the tide is out, but make sure you make it back to the walkway in time! It is really worth visiting, it has buzzing wildlife and plenty of history to learn about.

At the top end of Looe Bay, to the right of Looe Estuary, there is a rock formation of a wave-cut platform from the coastal erosion and it is mesmerising to look at. This area is dog-friendly and suitable for children as there are many rock pools to investigate with nets. On hot days there is a really strong smell of seaweed near the cliff but quickly fades away the further you go from it. There are toilets and a small shop that sells coffee, drinks, sandwiches, cakes, and snacks. It is fairly quiet and is not over-crowded on a hot day. It is a really cool place to experience!

The beautiful view of a bay hidden in West Looe

Thank you so much for reading my totally original blog. It would mean so much if you like this post and support me 🙂 I really do love sharing my adventures with you in my current series “My Travels in Devon and Cornwall” I cannot wait to write more articles! Thank you for reading once again and a follow would be nice 😉! Have a wonderful day, Mya!

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
John F Kennedy

My VSCO name is https://vsco.co/myajst/gallery where I post photos from beautiful sunsets to breathtaking scenery.

*All photos are mine so please ask before using 🙂 Non-watermarked versions available.*

Hallsands. My Travels in Devon and Cornwall. Blog Post número tres.

Hello and welcome to my totally original travel blog! Today I will be blogging about Hallsands which is part of a series I am writing called “My Travels in Devon and Cornwall”. I have already blogged about Kingsbridge and Beesands, and now it is time for Hallsands which is a 12 minute drive down the coast from those places. Hallsands is a picturesque little village and beach in the South of Devon in England between Beesands to the North and Start Point to the South. The nearest big cities are Plymouth and Exeter.

Hallsands is so breathtaking and stunning, it even makes me feel like I am in Italy or the South of France on sunny days! Hallsands is actually a ruined fishing village which fell victim to the power of the sea and exploiting resources. In 1891, Hallsands had 37 houses, a pub called the London inn and the population was 159. Most of the families relied on fishing, especially crab but there were frequent losses at sea and the money wasn’t that good. It was a very close community with women and children helping with the boats and nets.In 1900 the community complained to the member of parliament that the sea defences were very inadequate. On the night of 26th January 1917, easterly gales and extremely high tides destroyed Hallsands sea defences and the village collapsed into the sea. Many of the families relocated to North Hallsands and Beesands however they lost everything, possessions, boats and their houses. It took seven years to fight for compensation! On the 27th there was one house left remaining. Today, her home is used as a summer holiday home.

That is the main story of the destruction of Hallsands yet there are many more deeper stories into the really intriguing history of this beautiful yet, hurt area.

Hallsands has so much famous, local history that it has even had a ‘play’ made about the history. This is one of the more quieter beaches within Start Bay which is perfect if you are in need for tranquility and mindfullness. Although Hallsands is secluded, you will find plenty of activities to do! This can vary from keen anglers going fishing, to kayaking, paddle boarding and even snorkelling. Scuba divers can even explore the ruins under the sea! There are no active lifeguard services, so please be careful!

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever”
Jacques Yves Cousteau

Overall Hallsands, is a wonderful place where you can snorkel in crystal clear water or take a trek on the SW Coast Path. The locals are lovely and will have a conversation with you all day whilst gazing at the rolling fields and calming waters. There are dog-friendly beaches all year around and it is truly worth visiting! Thank you so much for reading until the end, it really means a lot! So please make sure to follow my page and like my other posts that are in this series of “My Travels in Devon and Cornwall.” Have a magnificent day, Mya! 🙂

My VSCO name is: https://vsco.co/myajst/gallery where I post photos from beautiful sunsets to breathtaking scenery’s.

All scenery photos are my own so please ask before using 🙂

Beesands. My Travels in Devon and Cornwall. Blog Post número dos.

Hello to whoever is reading this, I hope you are having an amazing day and what are the chances of reading this, this time in space? Answer: it’s definitely meant to be. As I am continuing my series of “My travels in Devon and Cornwall” this is blog post número dos and it will be touching upon how Beesands in Devon is a secret hideaway with a lot and I mean A LOT of history behind it. It is a really little ‘golden nugget’ on the South coast of beautiful England. I really do enjoy sharing these ‘finds’ with you, so check out my other posts if you like this one! 🙂

Ok so let’s start off with Beesands. Beesands is located in Kingsbridge in the South West of England and you can find this in the SatNav with TQ7 2EH as the postcode. Beesands is located between Hallsands (which I’ll be blogging about next) and Torcross on the coast of Start Bay in South Devon. It is also a popular fishing destination where crabs and lobsters are focused within. I do recommend checking it out if you want to squeeze down the tight, hedge-overgrown lanes but other than that it is a neat little place with a car park for picnics! nearest main cities are Exeter and Plymouth. It is a very secret part so you should pass through Beeson, travel along Kingsbridge Stokenham road or Beesands road and this takes you out to Beesands.

If you would like to stay a night or two then there are campsites called “Sugar park Campsite” (which is really close to Beesands), “Beam Ends” (which is Beesands) and “Beryl’s Campsite” (which is in Beeson). Valseph B&B, the Warren Holiday Cottage which are on the left side of Beesands and are good accommodation if you prefer a more standard stay and I have heard, from friends who have stayed there, that they enjoyed their stay there and the yummy seafood! On the right side of Beesands there are toilets, “Britannia at The Beach” which is a seafood restaurant. Also on the left there is the “Cricket inn” which is a 4 star hotel with free wi-fi and free breakfast.

Beesands in 2018. Lower quality because it was dug out of my archives.

Beesands is a beautiful area which has rock armour protecting the cottages/shops/ businesses behind them as the sea can get very rough and destructive (as I mentioned in my previous post with Kingsbridge) on this stretch of land. I believe that the beaches are dog-friendly all year round and they are a shingle type beach. Whilst we were on this beach, we found many lovely shells! They were a nice surprise to come across as there was a wide variety and they were each beautiful in their own way. The mile long beach is surrounded which (quite) steep hills and lush green fields which the SW Coast path also passes through.

“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”
Lyndon B.Johnson

Thank you so much for reading, it does mean a whole lot! Please make sure to follow and like to continue on with my series of “My Travels in Devon and Cornwall”. Have a magnificent rest of the day, Mya 🙂

My VSCO name is: vsco.co/myajst where I post random yet stunning views & sunsets I come across.

Kingsbridge and Slapton Sands. My Travels in Devon and Cornwall. Blog Post numero uno.

Good morning, good evening or just good day wherever you are! This is my first proper blog post which will dwell upon one of my favourite places in Devon which is Kingsbridge. As the Coronavirus has impacted our lives in every way and shape, I believe that more people will be booking holidays nationally this year. This will give a chance to people to see the true beauty of the UK and its national parks. The coast around UK is a hidden gem (well in the Summer it is anyway), from blue waters, hot days and of course, the classic fish and chips! It deserves so much more appreciation because places like Torquay and Penzance reminds me of the South of France and Italy sometimes. In my blog, I shall be starting a series of Devon and Cornwall places that I have travelled to (and loved!) as this is really important at the moment as most people are roaming their homeland.

(From the perspective of someone from the UK).

Kingsbridge is in Devon, the South West of England, just below the A385 and A38. It is a fairly unknown area and to know about it, you would have to be travelling around Devon and Cornwall for some time as people don’t know this beauty spot even exists. It is perfect for Motorhome day trip outings.

From London taking the A303 and then A38, it takes around 4 hours and 10 minutes. From Cardiff, taking the M5 onto the A38, it takes 2 hours and 40 minutes and from Edinburgh taking the M6, then onto the M5 and finishing on the A38 it takes a whopping 8 hours and 20 minutes. The nearest big cities are Plymouth and Exeter. Kingsbridge is a small little town which holds a market near the Quayside most weekends (but I’m unsure under the circumstances now) which sells homemade jams, wind chimes and many other memorabilia. There is also a Morrisons, Tesco superstore and a Co-Op in case you want to pop in to get some food to eat down on Slapton Sands. There is also a museum in town called ‘Cookworthy Museum’.

As you continue along the A379 through ‘South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, you’ll pass through Frogmore, Chillington and Stokenham. If you want to stop over in this area for a night there is a campsite called ‘Start Bay Caravan and Motorhome Club site’ which is easy to find as it is close to the coast, a fish and chip shop and Slapton Ley. Coming out at the end of the road you arrive in Torcross, which you can drive in between the sea front and Slapton Ley.

Slapton Ley is a Nature Reserve and is amazing for bird-watchers as there is the Torcross Car Park right next to it. In the second Torcross Car Park there is a war memorial called “Exercise Tiger Memorial” and I recommend going to check it out because it is full of history and history is so important for us to be educated. Slapton Ley is good for children as there are many, many, MANY ducks and swans eager for some attention! Finally, on your right you will see Slapton sands Memorial Car Park, where you have to pay for parking, there are toilets on the right side of the car park and also a lovely ice-cream van. At the end of the car park on the left, there is a Slapton Sands monument which is a memorial.

Slapton Ley is very popular for eager bird watchers and families as there is a bird-watching hut in the car park and the War memorial. Slapton Sands has been battered by the stormy sea for years as the road and the car park has been sadly washed away many times and rebuilt so disruptions may occur, this does happen now and again, usually Autumn into Winter ‘season’ so watch out for that. There is a blue sea on a sunny day with a shingle beach, so perfect for fishing, paddle boarding or going out in a Kayak!

As I am writing this, I really do miss Devon and I wish I was there now. I have go to say, in England the South West will always hold so many memories and it will always be my favourite place!

Overall, Kingsbridge town centre is full of history, little shops from clothing to cheese and Slapton Ley with Slapton Sands is a perfect planned day out with an amazing fish and ship shop, you cannot resist! The War memorials also balances the history out perfectly so it is never forgotten.

“If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both salt water mixed with air”
Nayyirah Waheed

Thank you so much for reading, it does mean a lot! Please make sure to like and follow to continue with the series of “Devon and Cornwall”. Have an excellent day, Mya 🙂

My VSCO, where I post random stuff at: vsco.co/myajst

All photos are my own! Please ask before using them 🙂

I finally gave into my inner travel blog self.

Well I did it. After months of contemplating whether or not I should start a travel blog, I gave into my thoughts and made it a reality. I have read numerous travel, lifestyle and food blogs whilst in quarantine and I always envisioned documenting the places I’ve been in blogs so I can collect them over time and plus, they are nice to read back on, almost like a diary I suppose. Welcome! If you have stumbled across my blog this is a sign that you should start making your self happy and not trying to please anyone else. This is your chance to shine!

As this is my very fresh, first blog post I will go over what I would like to write about and achieve through this blog. First thing, first. Greetings, my name is Mya and I am from the UK. I would definitely describe myself as a “keen wanderlust magnet and just being present in a world of confusion”. I want to travel to every corner of the world, see every culture and develop a deeper understanding of humanity and how the media portrays different countries in certain ways, I believe this is very important because it is so easy to assume something about someone without knowing what is going on ‘behind the scenes’. I do put my stereotypical views down to the media and how they ‘drum’ ideologies about certain cultures or a group of people into your opinions. I also love animals, everything about them and I love to observe them and their behaviour. I am very eager to just be happy and make every person I meet and all people around me the same way.

Now, I am new to this whole blogging so I don’t know the ‘ins or outs’ so it is going to be fun to learn and develop my blogging style through posts. As this is suppose to be a mini introduction I shall sign off and start to write my next blog post which is going to be a series of “Our adventures in Devon and Cornwall” which are going to be very exciting! So please follow for some inspiring UK travel and the support would be amazing!

“Don’t listen to what they say, go see.”
Chinese proverb

Enjoy my blog ‘stamp’, I always take photos of the sun and sky as it never ceases to amaze. My VSCO is where I post most artsy photos ever found on my phone: vsco.co/myajst. Have a splendid day, Mya 🙂