Guide to Plymouth Hoe, England
Located in the English coastal city of Plymouth, The Hoe, as it is referred to among the locals, is a south facing space in the city that was made famous by Sir Francis Drake, who was at Plymouth Hoe Park in 1588, playing a game of bowls, when he was informed of the impending approach of the Spanish Armada. Legend has it, he calmly continued to play, and only began preparing for war when the game was over.
Plymouth Hoe also served as the port of departure for historical figures like the Pilgrim Fathers who left for America, James Cook ho first discovered Australia and also for Charles Darwin who embarked on his epic travel to the Galapagos Islands from here.
One of the most notable attractions in Plymouth Hoe is Plymouth Sound, which in addition to being used by the Royal Navy for centuries, is also used for commercial 
purposes, with ships and ferries from France and Spain passing through. In the middle of the sound, is another Plymouth Hoe landmark, the Plymouth Breakwater, which plays the role of an anchor for ships facing bad weather conditions. The breakwater comes with a lighthouse, beacon and spherical cage, which was designed to save shipwrecked sailors.
Visitors to the Hoe should not fail to see the Plymouth Dome, which provides an idea of Plymouth’s history right until World War Two. It does this by recreating an Elizabethan street, complete with dummies of people from the Elizabethan era and enhanced by sounds and smells of that time.
Sites worth seeing on or near to Plymouth Hoe include the:
- Royal Citadel
- Tinside Pool
- Marine Biological Laboratory
- Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club.
- Smeaton's Tower Lighthouse (on land on the Hoe)
Plymouth Hoe is also the venue for the annual two day UK Fireworks Championships, which draws thousands of visitors.
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