Nature,  Travel

St Ives, Cornwall

St Ives is a town in Cornwall, England, known for its surf beaches, like Porthmeor, and its art scene. The seafront Tate St Ives gallery has rotating modern art exhibitions, focusing on British artists. Nearby, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, in the modernist artist’s former studio, displays her bronzes and other works. Boat trips go to Seal Island, just west of town, to see the seal colony.
The north coast fishing town of St Ives is one of Cornwall’s best loved destinations, and with obvious reason. The town is built on a narrow peninsula fringed with sandy beaches. Radiating out from the idyllic harbour are a maze of painfully quaint cobbled streets lined with fishermen’s cottages. And if all this wasn’t enough, St Ives has a rich artistic heritage which is celebrated with a plethora of galleries from the small to the internationally acclaimed. To use a well worn cliché, there is something for everyone in St Ives and in this short guide we aim to suggest a few of the highlights. The list below is in no particular order and by no means exhaustive.

For a town of its size St Ives is blessed with an inordinate amount of beaches. Not only are they numerous but these are without question some of the best beaches in Cornwall (and thus the world!). There are 4 main beaches within walking distance of the town, each with a different character. Porthmeor is perhaps the best known, facing into the Atlantic and backing on to the Tate Gallery. Porthminster is the second biggest and is conveniently located next to the train and bus stations. The Harbour beach is right in the centre of town and a great, safe family option. Porthgwidden is tucked away around the corner from all the hustle and bustle with beach huts available.

St Ives Harbour.

St Ives Harbour has always been the town’s focal point. As with most harbour towns this is the area around which the town grew. The harbour in St Ives though is a cut above the rest with the area doubling as both a beach and bustling shopping street. There are any number of cafes and restaurants overlooking the harbour and the view is the reason why. Clear, turquoise waters with small boats bobbing around between the piers. It is also worth taking a stroll along the historic Smeaton’s pier to get an equally stunning view back to the town.

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