Island Escape: Seals, Smugglers & Serenity

An overnight stay on Looe Island, off Cornwall's coast, provides exclusive access to its marine nature reserve after day visitors leave. This unique experience allows for intimate wildlife encounters, such as observing seals bonding in the surf.

The island, also known as St George's Island, has a rich history. It was once inhabited by the smuggler 'Black Joan' and her brother, and later by sisters Roselyn and Evelyn Atkins, who were daffodil farmers. The Atkins sisters purchased the island in 1965, leaving it to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust upon their deaths.

Managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust since 2004, the 9-hectare reserve protects diverse habitats and wildlife, including great black-backed gulls and compass jellyfish. Visitors can stay in Smuggler's Cottage or a bell tent, enjoying the island's peace.

This tranquil escape encourages visitors to slow down and observe nature, fostering empathy and respect for wildlife. The island's wardens emphasize minimizing disturbance to animals like seals, crucial for their winter survival and pup rearing.

Ultimately, staying on Looe Island offers a profound sense of peace and reconnection with the natural world, highlighting the importance of sharing this environment respectfully with its true inhabitants: the wildlife.