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 St.Ives -
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Ives click here
Bed and breakfast in
St Ives
Self catering in St Ives
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St
Ives is undoubtedly one of the most
popular holiday destinations in Cornwall.
The whole of
St
Ives Bay could be described as one large
beach with headlands and rocky outcrops jutting out into the
sea.
St
Ives itself is a good example of this,
being surrounded by the sea and beaches on three sides.
In
St
Ives, life seems to spread out from the
harbour into the narrow cobbled streets. The streets are a
maze of shops, cafes, pubs and old fisherman’s cottages, all
exuding character and age, one can be sure of is that the
sea is little more than a stone’s throw away.
Visitors come to
St
Ives year after year many returning on an
annual basis. So what is so popular about this town, its
unspoilt character, the excellent beaches, its quaint little
shops and cafes, the mild climate. The effects of the Gulf
Stream make it possible to grow semi tropical plants,
perhaps one of the reasons the town regularly wins the
‘Britain in Bloom’ competition.
St Ives and the surrounding area is a magnet for artists who
come because of the excellent light. Not only are there a
number of small galleries but the Tate Gallery in company
with the
Barbara Hepworth Museum now takes pride of
place overlooking
Porthmeor Beach.
The Tate Gallery and
Barbara Hepworth Museum have proved to be
an excellent attraction for St Ives having a similar effect
to that of
The Eden Project to
St
Austell, or the
Falmouth Maritime Centre is to
Falmouth or the
Rick Stein
Restaurant is to
Padstow, and perhaps now the
fifteen Restaurant will be to
Newquay and
Watergate Bay.
St
Ives does not have the same scale of night
life to Newquay (thankfully some would say) and therefore
does not attract the younger generation is great numbers. It
is quite happy with its olde world pubs, cafes, and
restaurants which spring into life during
the evenings. This is probably the main reason it attracts
so many families and people seeking a quiet relaxing
holiday.
St
Ives Beaches
The old part of the town is sandwiched between two beaches,
to the north:
Porthmeor Beach.
This is
St
Ives main
surfing beach and more open to the
prevailing winds and Atlantic rollers.
Good sand quality.
Good surfing when conditions permit.
Lifeguard service during the summer months
Parking available at
Barnoon car park just above the beach
Toilet facilities
Restaurant /café on the beach
Summary:
A very popular family beach, easily accessible with all
services closeby.
Moving to the southern beaches, these contrast significantly
as they are protected from the winds by the headland, but
one thing they do have in common, the sand quality is of the
very highest.
Moving around the headland ‘The Island’ we arrive at:
Porthgwidden Beach.
A quiet sandy little cove. Marker buoys denote the
recommended bathing area.
The nearest car park is on ‘The Island’ just a short walk
Services include: restaurant/café/toilets and beach huts for
hire.
Summary:
A small sheltered beach offering safe bathing, a real sun
trap.
Just a short distance away is:
St
Ives Harbour:
The focal point of the town and very central. It has a long
frontage taking in ‘The Wharf’ ‘Smeatons
Pier’ with the Life Boat Station at one
end.
Well sheltered from the prevailing winds it offers a safe
haven for numerous small craft. The harbour frontage has
several cafes/pubs/small shops and several of the
St
Ives Holiday Apartments are to be found
here. Needless to say this gets extremely busy in high
season, but in a nice sort of way. Perhaps the influence of
its popularity with families.
Like all the beaches in the area, the harbour beach has
excellent sand quality and very popular with the bucket and
spade brigade. A popular pastime for children is ‘hand
lining’ for crabs off the wall at high tide.
The harbour also offers boat trips for either deep sea
fishing/mackerel fishing in the bay or just pleasure rides.
Fishing from the harbour wall or the rocky outcrops on the
point is a popular pastime, species include Bass, Pollack,
mackerel, flounder. Recommended baits are worm/mackerel
strip or sandeels.
There are various car parks close to the harbour but in high
season parking can be difficult.
Toilets closeby.
Cafes/restaurants are all available.
Moving around the point and the last of the
St
Ives town beaches is:
Porthminster beach:
Close to the harbour this is a lovely beach approximately
half a mile long. It offers safe bathing as it is sheltered
from most winds and is virtually always calm.
Parking is available at the Railway Station which is closeby.
Services include:
Restaurant/café/beach huts/toilets
Summary:
Highly recommended for families wishing to sunbath and swim.
Not good for surfing owing to its sheltered location.
Just out of St Ives on the coastal footpath and around
Porthminster Point is:
Carbis Bay Beach:
Similar in location to Porthminster beach and offering the
same safe bathing in waters that are invariably calm.
The beach has good parking, café and toilet facilities.
Summary:
A very pleasant walk along the coastal path from St Ives and
convenient for visitors staying at accommodation in Carbis
Bay. The
Carbis Bay accommodation is closely
affiliated to the
St
Ives accommodation. An excellent sheltered
sandy beach.
Continuing on the coastal footpath and just out of St Ives
is the little village of
Lelant. Lelant has a splendid beach:
Porthkidney Beach:
Three miles of golden sands backed by small sand dunes.
The beach is popular but because of its size never appears
busy.
Parking is a brisk 5 minute walk away.
One word of warning – it is dangerous to bathe in or near
the river estuary but safe between the flags.
Summary:
If you want to get out of the hustle and bustle of the
St
Ives beaches this is the one for you, a
lovely beach with plenty of room to move around.
The beaches continue to move around the
St
Ives Bay with the
Hayle beaches. As the St Ives headland
opens up so the surf increases, basically the further south
along the coast the better the surf.
Hayle Towans has some excellent surfing
and parking is available at the top of the cliffs. All the
beaches have one thing in common, beautiful soft sand.
What to do around St Ives:
Of course there are the beaches, the restaurants, the shops,
art galleries with The Tate and Barbara Hepworth Museum but
what if this is not enough for your weeks holiday.
There are lovely walks along the coastal footpath taking in
headlands and little sandy coves. Perhaps to Lelant, have a
meal or drink in one of the pubs and a leisurely walk back.
Take a scenic trip on the train, it goes to
Penzance. Described
as a truly spectacular journey as it runs along the cliff
edge, a real feat of Victorian engineering.
Touring from St Ives:
Cornwall is a beautiful county but quite small, anywhere in
the county can be reached with a pleasant drive.
Just a few ideas include:
The Eden Project at
St
Austell
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
at
St
Austell
St Michael’s Mount –
a National Trust monument near
Penzance approached by a causeway at low
tide or by ferry.
www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk
Lands End - as far
west as you can go without getting your feet wet. Rugged
views and cliff top walks.
Just along from Lands End is:
The Minack Theatre -
an open air theatre on the cliffs at Porthcurno – a truly
unique experience.
www.minack.com
Flambards Village -
a lovely family day out.
www.flambards.co.uk
St Ives is close to Penzance - enjoy a day trip to the
Scilly Isles. This can be taken by boat, airplane or
helicopter.
www.tresco.co.uk
The
National Maritime Museum at
Falmouth is an easy
drive across West Cornwall.
www.nmmc.co.uk
Paradise Park at Hayle - beautiful birds
and small animals, lovely garden, a playground for children.
www.paradisepark.org
St
Ives Accommodation:
The accommodation in St Ives is quite spread out as the town
itself is quite small.
In the town centre there are primarily:
St
Ives guesthouses - these are often quaint
little fishermen’s cottages converted into small
guesthouses.
St
Ives self catering - these are split into
two categories:
St
Ives apartments
Fisherman’s cottages in St Ives, these are
quite numerous, many are basically second homes being let
out when not in use by the owners. Unfortunately, like most
popular places in Cornwall this tends to increase the cost
of property putting it out of reach of the local population.
The hotels in St Ives are not numerous
considering the town’s popularity but they tend to be of
excellent quality.
Many of the
hotels in St Ives are to be found on the
approach road at
Carbis Bay.
Also covering St Ives is a large chalet complex proving
excellent beachside self
catering in Hayle.
The
St
Ives camp sites and caravan parks are all
on the outskirts in the surrounding countryside. The size
and geography of St Ives does not lend itself to this type
of accommodation.
One problem that St Ives has during high summer and it could
be said is a victim of its own success, is that of parking.
Vehicles into the town centre are restricted for much of the
summer, advantageous for those just wandering around the
streets or shops. Why not leave your car at Lelant Rail
Station. Trains travel at frequent intervals to St Ives and
the short trip is regarded as one of the most scenic in the
country.
Full details can be obtained from the Cornwall Tourist
Information office Tel. 0345 484950.
Getting to St Ives
Most visitors to the town arrive by private car. The road is
mainly dual carriageway. As a guide, Exeter is approximately
2 hours and Bristol about 3 hours.
By Rail:
On the main line disembark at St Erth or even Penzance.
Change to the St Ives branch line, this will take you right
into the town.
By Coach
By Air - to Newquay airport - hire cars available
For for further information about St Ives:
St
Ives Tourist Information centre is in the
centre of the town.
For additional information for the whole of the country, the
Cornwall Tourist Board will be able to assist.
St.Ives News:
Rural boom 'driven by creative migration'Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Apr 20, 2008Clwyd in Wales, St Ives in Cornwall and Torridge in Devon are set to be among the top five most appealing locations for business in the future at the ... |
Cornwall schools 'considering trust option'ATL Education News, UK - Apr 29, 2008In a move that could attract millions of pounds worth of investment, St Ives, Mounts Bay, Cape Cornwall, Hayle and Humphry Davy schools are making plans to ... |
BBC News |
Schools debate investment chanceBBC News, UK - Apr 29, 2008St Ives, Cape Cornwall, Mounts Bay, Hayle and Humphry Davy schools are looking into the possibility of creating a self-governing trust. ... |
Express & Echo |
MISSING GILLIAN IN CORNWALL?Express & Echo, UK - May 10, 2008Inquiries failed to reveal where she had gone, but police are investigating a possible sighting in St Ives, Cornwall. Gillian is described as 5ft 11in tall ... |
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