St Ives Travel Guide

Tourist Guide
St Ives featuring a bay or harbour, boating and a beach
St Ives which includes a coastal town, rocky coastline and boating
Porthmeor Beach showing a sandy beach and a coastal town as well as a large group of people
Porthminster Beach featuring swimming and a sandy beach
St Ives featuring a coastal town, outdoor eating and general coastal views
With its white-washed cottages and white-sand beaches, this seaside village is as pretty as a painting and a magnet for artists and artistic happenings.

The town of St. Ives curves around a harbor overlooking the clear waters of its eponymous bay. Beyond the shoreline lie a cluster of fishermen’s cottages and narrow cobbled lanes where galleries, cafés and craft shops proliferate. Splash around in the surf and explore the impressive artistic offerings in town.

Though once just a regular fishing village, St. Ives has attracted many prominent artists since the early 19th century, including J.M.W. Turner and James McNeill Whistler. The town’s reputation as an artistic hub still remains and many renowned galleries are now based here.

Stop by the Tate St. Ives near the popular swimming spot of Porthmeor Beach. See works from modern British artists, including painter Ben Nicholson. Another important figure in the art scene of St. Ives is modernist sculptor Barbara Hepworth. She is honored at the Tate-owned Barbara HepworthMuseum and Sculpture Garden. Continue your artistic explorations at the Leach Pottery museum, where displays are devoted to the work of the master British potter Bernard Leach.

For relaxation during the warmer months, hit the golden sands of Porthminster Beach. From here, admire views of the Godrevy Lighthouse, the inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s famous 1927 novelTo the Lighthouse. Adventurers surf, kayak and paddleboard here too.

Explore the labyrinthine streets in the old heart of the town, known locally as Downalong. To learn more about the town’s history, visit the St. Ives Museum. Exhibits focus on its mining, fishing and boatbuilding industries.

When dining, seafood is the obvious choice. Eat beer-battered fish and chips at a cozy gastro pub or try some other delicious Cornish seafood. In between meals, snack on traditional Cornish pasties, savory baked pastries filled with minced meat and vegetables.

There is lots to keep you excited and amused in St. Ives, but consider a boat excursion out to Seal Island, where a colony of seals reside.

St. Ives is located in Cornwall on England’s southwest coast. Make the 3-hour drive from Bristol or use rail or coach services instead. Enjoy simple seaside pleasures and artistic delights at this picturesque harbor town.

Tregenna Castle Resort
Tregenna Castle Resort
3 out of 5
Tregenna Castle Estate, Treloyon Avenue, St Ives, England
The price is AU$132 per night from 24 Nov to 25 Nov
AU$132
includes taxes & fees
24 Nov - 25 Nov
Stay at this 3-star spa hotel in St Ives. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in our ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (922 reviews)
"Very beautiful setting, staff very friendly and helpful 5stars for them, the room was very nice with a very lovely large bed. Easy walking access to st ives but getting a cab back is a good idea. I would avoid room 84 as the veiw is overlooking the glass roof of the pool and you can hear everything ..."

Reviewed on 15 Nov. 2024

Tregenna Castle Resort
The St Ives Bay Hotel
The St Ives Bay Hotel
3.5 out of 5
The Terrace, Cornwall, St Ives, England
The price is AU$86 per night from 22 Nov to 23 Nov
AU$86
includes taxes & fees
22 Nov - 23 Nov
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in St Ives. Enjoy breakfast (surcharge), a 24-hour front desk, and daily housekeeping. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the ...
6.2/10 (474 reviews)
"We had a lovely Seaview room, clean and comfortable. The only problem we had was with access and parking, apart from that a great place to stay."

Reviewed on 19 Nov. 2024

The St Ives Bay Hotel
Harbour Hotel St Ives
Harbour Hotel St Ives
4 out of 5
The Terrace, St Ives, England
The price is AU$291 per night from 22 Dec to 23 Dec
AU$291
includes taxes & fees
22 Dec - 23 Dec
Stay at this 4-star beach hotel in St Ives. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the property condition ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (568 reviews)
"I loved the view and the special attention to detail - for example the free glass of gin and an excellent spa and swimming pool. I would have liked the veranda to have had a clean or paint"

Reviewed on 17 Nov. 2024

Harbour Hotel St Ives
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Betty's Cottage St Ives. Grade II listed perfect getaway with secure parking.
Betty's Cottage St Ives. Grade II listed perfect getaway with secure parking.
St Ives
Stay at this cottage in St Ives. Enjoy free WiFi, patios, and cable/satellite TV service. Our guests praise the convenient parking in our reviews. Popular attractions ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (147 reviews)
Little gem
"Fabulous stay in St Ives at Betty's cottage. Thank you!"

Reviewed on 11 Nov. 2024

Betty's Cottage St Ives. Grade II listed perfect getaway with secure parking.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse
3.5 out of 5
East Virgin Row, Consols, St Ives, England
Stay at this 3.5-star apartment in St Ives. Enjoy free parking. Popular attractions St Ives Harbour and St. Michael's Mount are located nearby.
8.4/10 Very Good! (5 reviews)
A little gem
"Just a lovely place to stay. Welcome pack was a lovely surprise. Great communication throughout"

Reviewed on 20 Jun. 2024

The Lighthouse
Trestenor Cottage St Ives town. Cosy Cottage.
Trestenor Cottage St Ives town. Cosy Cottage.
St.Ives
Stay at this cottage in St Ives. Enjoy patios, cable/satellite TV service, and in-room fireplaces. Popular attractions St Ives Harbour and St. Ives Theatre are ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (135 reviews)
Very close to town centre
"Brilliant location, 30 seconds from the front door of the cottage and your in the heart of the town, used the parking at the leisure Centre for 7 day stay, cost £26 plus, you have to pre book, with the car park/ cornwall. You have everything you need in the cottagecouncil"

Reviewed on 2 Nov. 2024

Trestenor Cottage St Ives town. Cosy Cottage.
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Activities

Reviews of St Ives

4.8
Top destination
5 - Excellent
10
" "5 - Excellent 83%
4 - Good
1
" "4 - Good 8%
3 - Okay
1
" "3 - Okay 8%
2 - Disappointing
0
" "2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
0
" "1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Still a strong arts community.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

St Ives is a lovely town and I would definitely go back if I ever got the chance

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveller

I was a little disappointed with St Ives, seems to have gone downhill over the last few years

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