text: The town centres around a small harbour and along the steep-sided valley of the River Looe which flows between East and West Looe to the sea beside a sandy beach. Offshore to the west, opposite the stonier Hannafore Beach, lies Looe Island.
  History
  Prehistory and foundation
  Archaeological evidence indicates that the area around Looe has been inhabited since the Neolithic period (although a possible series of ancient field systems, south of nearby Penarthtown, could suggest earlier Palaeolithic activity). A Neolithic stone axe, made of greenstone, was found in 1978 on a tidal gravel bank in the bed of West Looe River. Further Neolithic finds, such as flint arrow heads, have also been found in the fields above Trenant Point. Furthermore, the site of a large perfect Bronze Age tumulus and most likely the site for a post medieval beacon was located in a field just north of Hillcrest Nursing home in East Looe. Unfortunately, some time after 1823 the site was levelled, thus leaving no trace of the large barrow to be seen today. Additional tumuli have also been noted in the area of Looe, such as at the locally known Wooldown field and at the base of Shutta hill, however neither of the tumuli are visible today. Throughout the Looe area, there are also numerous Iron Age and Romano-British forts. These include the nearby forts/settlements near Trelawne and Great Tree.