Plymouth, England

Forever associated with the Pilgrim Fathers, Plymouth can look back on a rich nautical history. Traders have been plying this stretch of the Devon coast since at least the Bronze Age, and Sir Francis Drake famously played bowls here while the Spanish Armada gathered off the English coast. As every school class knows, the city also played a pivotal role in the settlement of America - in 1620, a group of Puritan families set sail from Plymouth harbor aboard the Mayflower, founding the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. That’s the history; modern Plymouth is a busy university town with a string of attractions linked to its maritime past. The ...

Forever associated with the Pilgrim Fathers, Plymouth can look back on a rich nautical history. Traders have been plying this stretch of the Devon coast since at least the Bronze Age, and Sir Francis Drake famously played bowls here while the Spanish Armada gathered off the English coast. As every school class knows, the city also played a pivotal role in the settlement of America - in 1620, a group of Puritan families set sail from Plymouth harbor aboard the Mayflower, founding the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. That’s the history; modern Plymouth is a busy university town with a string of attractions linked to its maritime past. The most atmospheric part of town is the revitalized Barbican area, where timbered dock buildings rise above a harbor full of fishing boats. Down on the waterfront, the dramatic Royal Citadel opens to the public every summer, which is also the best time to head inland to the wonderful wilds of Dartmoor National Park.

About the Expert

Joe Bindloss has written more than 30 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Time Out and other publishers, with a focus on Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and island nations.