Experience the best of Plymouth

Plymouth lies on a broad natural harbour, Plymouth Sound, between the rivers Plym and Tamar. The Hoe, a grassy headland above the water, carries Smeaton's Tower, a red-and-white lighthouse moved from the Eddystone Rocks, and legend has Sir Francis Drake finishing a game of bowls here before facing the Spanish Armada. The Royal Citadel, a seventeenth-century fortress, stands on the eastern side.

The Barbican, the old harbour quarter, has cobbled lanes, a fish market and the Mayflower Steps, which commemorate the pilgrims' departure. Tinside Lido, a curved art deco swimming pool, sits below the Hoe, and the National Marine Aquarium shows the sea life of the region. Across the Tamar lies Cornwall, and the park at Mount Edgcumbe is reached by a small ferry, while Dartmoor begins just to the north.

Much of the centre was rebuilt after bombing in the Second World War, which gives it wide, modern streets. Fish landed at the harbour, pasties and Devon cream teas are local fare, and gin has been distilled in the city since the eighteenth century. Sea breezes keep the summers cool, and winters are mild and often wet.