​Porthmeor Beach

Situated in the shadow of the iconic Tate St Ives building, Porthmeor is sandy, safe beach popular with surfers and swimmers alike in an ideal location just a stone’s throw from the centre of St Ives where you’ll find ancient pubs, trendy cafes and lots of art galleries the town is famous for.

A perfect place for a beach picnic - you can easily get all you need from the town, the beach is busy in summer with families who enjoy the easy access and in winter the surf brigade from the town have all those rollers right on their doorstep. Porthmeor is one of only eight beaches in Cornwall that hold the prestigious Blue Flag Award 2017, given in recognition of water quality, safety, environmental management and education.
Lifeguard cover from the 30th of March until the 28th of October (2018).

​Harbour Beach 

Located in the town’s harbour sheltered by thick harbour walls a soft sandy beach is revealed when the tide’s out which is a perfect sun trap even on less balmy days.
 An ideal safe spot for swimming and building sand castles, the beach has easy access and is surrounded by the hustle and bustle of this popular resort, so you won’t go short of ice creams and hot pasties and there are many shops, galleries, cafes and pubs along the street that runs parallel to the sea.
St Ives is still very much a working port and from the beach you can watch local fishermen landing their daily catches of fresh seafood like mackerel and bass and the town’s Lifeboat Station, situated on the harbour for over 100 years, is open to the visitors during the summer season.

St Ives Harbour Although mainly a tourist destination, the town maintains a small fishing industry, this is nothing to what it was - as Cornwall's principal pilchard centre. The town was shaped by the needs of the local fishing, mining and farming communities.
The harbour, is much larger than is needed for today's seafarers. The size of St Ives harbour reflects the towns past importance as a fishing port.
During the 19th century, St Ives was the home port to over 400 pilchard fishing boats. It was also a major industrial port. St Ives harbour was important the export of stone, tin and copper from the mines located around the Lands End Peninsula.
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Porthgwidden Beach

Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide Recommended 2015 - excellent water quality.

The smallest beach of soft golden sand in St Ives, near to the Island, and very popular with families as it is very sheltered and quite an east-facing sun trap.

Porthminster Beach

This crescent of golden sand, framed by a glittering bay, has glorious views across to Godrevy Lighthouse, inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s famous novel ‘To the Lighthouse’. With the benefit of the mildest climate in the UK along with waving palm trees and translucent waters, there is a definite tropical feel to the place.
Located just a short walk from the centre of St Ives, the award-winning Blue Flag beach at Porthminster is a family favourite for safe swimming while onshore you can simply relax in a deck chair or try your skill at the mini 18 hole golf course where you can also order up freshly made juices and smoothies. If you’re feeling peckish the beach is also home to the Porthminster Beach café.  Serving up great local food, some of which is grown in their adjoining vegetable garden, the café has won many prestigious awards such as Coast magazine’s Best Coastal Café and The Times’ Best Coastal Restaurant.

Beautiful images of St Ives Town & beaches x 

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S

St Ives Pubs

There are over a dozen great pubs in St Ives and you can't do them  all in a week - FACT .. we've tried !! - So take your time and enjoy as many as you can - they all have their special qualities, views , great food, live music and fabulous atmosphere. 
The Sloop
The Sloop Inn claims to be one of Cornwall’s oldest inns, dating from Circa 1312,  Inside is very atmospheric with its low beamed ceiling and slate floor,  with small windows giving views out to the harbour. The front courtyard that looks out over the harbour beach is one of the best places for sitting with a pint and watching the world go by. 
Castle Inn
The Castle Inn is our favourite of the traditional pubs in St Ives and probably the one most often in the Good Beer Guide. Dimly lit, with a low ceiling, black beams, slate floor, barrels and maritime items dotted about, and tables with cast iron stands. 
The Hub
The Hub bar has become a trendy place for younger people for drinks in St Ives.
 The upstairs balcony offers some of the best views over the harbour, and the large portions of food (good veggie burgers and fries) have left us satisfyingly overfilled on each occasion.
The Lifeboat Inn 
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The Lifeboat Inn is a traditional harbour-side pub with log fire and outstanding views of the sea. Sitting alongside the famous lifeboat house that supports seafarers it's a great place to relax, enjoy a meal and watch the maritime activities of St Ives.
The Golden Lion

 The Golden Lion is a friendly community pub not far from St. Ives Harbour and offers a decent selection of beers/ciders, solid-quality pub food and a relaxed atmosphere.
The Rum and Crab Shack
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A fun family option, where you can crack your own crab claws (aprons and tools provided), or dine on mains such as jerk chicken, gumbo and jambalaya. Fine dining it isn't, however, and service can be a bit slapdash. As the name suggests, there are lots of types of rum to wash your crab down with.

Amazing places to visit if you have time 

Minack Theatre 
Aprox 35 Mins from St Ives
​The Minack is a unique theatre perched on the cliffs high above the Atlantic ocean. They put on a full programme of drama, musicals and opera every summer, together with music, comedy and story-telling. Its an amazing place and we have spent many happy moments watching amazing theatre with a million dollar back drop !

Go to  https://www.minack.com​ for more details 

St Michaels Mount
Just 20 mins from St Ives is  St Michaels Mount.
From ancient cobbles to castle walls, through time and tide, St Michael’s Mount is beckoning.
Striding the causeway, or crossing by boat. Treading medieval pathways or exploring sub-tropical gardens. Climbing to the castle or uncovering stories of harbour, legend and family home. Admire the views, hear the islanders’ tales and unearth a history that lives on in every step. Through time and tide the Mount creates moments to remember. What will yours be? 
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