Plymouth Flights:
Flights to Plymouth
Located on England’s south west coast the city of Plymouth is steeped in history. Offering a pretty natural setting, as well as numerous cultural attractions, monuments are more, Plymouth certainly has enough to attract tourists looking for a city with diversity.
The Plymouth City Airport (airport code: PLH) is only for small local flights to Plymouth. When coming from South Africa, you’re better off arriving at London’s Gatwick Airport (code: LGW) and getting a local flight to Plymouth from there with Air Southwest. KLM flies to Gatwick with one stop in Amsterdam, and South African Airways makes a connection in Dubai. These flights are just under 20 hours long, including the transfer times.
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The Tourist Attractions of Plymouth:
Plymouth Hoe
One of the top natural attractions in Plymouth is Plymouth Hoe. It’s a large open space that’s accessible to the public and is well known for its great views over some of Plymouth’s other natural features such as Plymouth Sound and Drake’s Island. Also on the Hoe are man-made attractions including Smeaton’s Tower (a lighthouse), and at one end, the huge Royal Citadel.
The Royal Citadel
The Royal Citadel was built after the English Civil War to defend Plymouth’s port from attacks from the sea, and it was constructed in the late 1660’s. The Royal Citadel is still largely in use today by the military so the site isn’t open to the public at all times. If you’d like to see some parts of the Citadel you can go on a guided tour, available usually in the summer.
The Barbican
The oldest parts of Plymouth are now known as the Barbican, but when the town was first established it was called Sutton. Today the Barbican is a popular place for both tourists and locals with a selection of attractions including some of the original old harbour area buildings. This includes some pretty streets, and the Mayflower Steps which is where the pilgrims set off in the Mayflower to establish a colony in the USA. The Barbican is both a historical and artsy part of Plymouth now where there are some lovely shops and little art galleries, as well as many restaurants, and several places to stay.
The National Marine Aquarium is on the edges of Plymouth’s Barbican. This too is a major tourist attraction, being the largest aquarium in the country, and the deepest in Europe. The modern building is in stark contrast to the quaint historical buildings in the centre of the Barbican, but this was needed in order to hold the giant aquariums, including the largest, the Mediterranean exhibit.
Saltram House
There are several locations in and around Plymouth that were used for filming the movie Sense and Sensibility, including the grand and impressive Saltram House. This is located on the outskirts of Plymouth and is operated by the National Trust. The large mansion house is usually open between February and October while the grounds are open all year.
When Should You Visit?:
Plymouth’s temperate oceanic climate means the city has mild though wetter weather than many other parts of England. From June to September average high temperatures are pleasant, between 18 and 20C and this is a good time to visit because there’s generally less rainfall during the summer too. Rainfall is heaviest in the winter months but temperatures are still mild, dropping to an average high of 9C in January.