Interesting Facts

Plymouth's combination of countryside and beach make it ideal for outdoor activities. Boating, horseback riding, skiing, hiking and swimming are popular and easily accessible.
Perhaps the city's largest sporting event, the Formula One Power Boat Grand Prix convenes in Plymouth each year, providing a huge boost for the tourism industry.
Plymouth's National Marine Aquarium is Britain's top aquarium and one of the city's most popular attractions. The aquarium leads environmental research programs and raises public awareness of ecological issues.
Learning about Plymouth's history, people and landscape couldn't be more fun than it is at Plymouth Dome. Interactive and hands-on displays are the hallmark of this attraction, where visitors may sail aboard the Mayflower, explore an Elizabethan Street and stand at the edge of Plymouth Sound.
The City Museum and Art Gallery contains a wide variety of treasures that range from fine and decorative art to archeology and natural history collections. In addition to the museum's main location, the Elizabethan House and the Merchant's House capture daily life in a specific period of Plymouth's history.
A significant port in Western history, Plymouth was the port from which the Pilgrims departed on the Mayflower in 1620, and the backdrop for Napolean Bonaparte's arrival in England, following his capture.
The statue of Francis Drake in Plymouth Hoe commemorates Drake's service as mayor and more importantly, his departure to fight the Spanish Armada in 1577.
Plymouth's synagogue is the oldest remaining Ashkenazi house of worship in an English-speaking country.
The Barbican refers to the Elizabethan section of town, situated along the harbor. It contains charming homes and buildings, and shops with historic themes, offering specialties such as antiques, old books and handcrafted items.
Plymouth was first settled as a trading port in 1000 BC, probably by the Phoenicians, and was occupied by the Romans after their invasion of Britain. Eventually the port was integrated into the town of Sutton, which was renamed Plymouth in 1439.