St Ives

Travel Guide

St Ives which includes boating, a bay or harbour and a sandy beach
St Ives featuring rocky coastline, a coastal town and boating
Porthmeor Beach which includes a coastal town and a sandy beach as well as a large group of people
Porthminster Beach featuring a sandy beach and swimming
St Ives showing a coastal town, general coastal views and boating

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 harbour 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 cosy gastro pub or try some other delicious Cornish seafood. In between meals, snack on traditional Cornish pasties, savoury 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 harbour town.

Tregenna Castle Resort

Tregenna Castle Resort

3 out of 5
Tregenna Castle Estate, Treloyon Avenue, St Ives, England
The price is €144 per night from 21 Sept to 22 Sept
€144
21 Sept - 22 Sept
includes taxes & fees
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 ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,004 reviews)
"My friend and I rented four rooms in total. The scenery here is beautiful and the rooms are clean. However, there is a double room with a leaking toilet, which disturbed our sleep at night. Everything is fine."

Reviewed on 23 Aug 2025

Tregenna Castle Resort
The St Ives Bay Hotel

The St Ives Bay Hotel

3.5 out of 5
The Terrace, Cornwall, St Ives, England
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is €80 per night from 14 Sept to 15 Sept
€80
14 Sept - 15 Sept
includes taxes & fees
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 ...
6.4/10 (608 reviews)
"Fabulous views 😍"

Reviewed on 23 Aug 2025

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 €249 per night from 7 Sept to 8 Sept
€249
7 Sept - 8 Sept
includes taxes & fees
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! (633 reviews)
"Disappointed with the service. Although my Hotels.com booking clearly stated a double bed and a single bed, we were given a family room with a double bed and a bunk bed. When I raised the issue, the staff claimed that the requested option wasn’t visible in their system and blamed the third-party ..."

Reviewed on 14 Aug 2025

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.
Newly renovated 4 en-suite bedrooms, panoramic sea views, Hot Tub, EV charger

Newly renovated 4 en-suite bedrooms, panoramic sea views, Hot Tub, EV charger

Carbis Bay
Book a stay at this family-friendly vacation home in St Ives. Enjoy free WiFi, a garden, and laundry facilities. Popular attractions Carbis Bay Beach and St ...
10/10 Exceptional! (15 reviews)
"This property was absolutely perfect. Equipped with everything you would possibly need. Tesco is walking distance if you are feeding a large family. We chose to drive half way down to Carbis bay and walk the rest."

Reviewed on 16 Aug 2025

Newly renovated 4 en-suite bedrooms, panoramic sea views, Hot Tub, EV charger
3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Apartment,  Panoramic Views of St Ives, 2 parking spaces

3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Apartment, Panoramic Views of St Ives, 2 parking spaces

St. Ives
Stay at this apartment in St Ives. Enjoy free WiFi, a garden, and laundry facilities. Popular attractions St Ives Harbour and Carbis Bay Beach are located ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (64 reviews)
"Overall holiday was great. Location of apartment was ideal for us not to close to the noise of the town yet not too far either as it was about a 10 min walk with a 4 year old down the steps. The apartment itself is very nice, 2 parking spaces allocated to the rear, can be quite tight but is manageable ..."

Reviewed on 9 Aug 2025

3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Apartment, Panoramic Views of St Ives, 2 parking spaces
WOODLAND RETREAT - Summer school holiday dates still available.

WOODLAND RETREAT - Summer school holiday dates still available.

Lelant
Book a stay at this family-friendly vacation home in St Ives. Enjoy free WiFi, patios, and air conditioning. Popular attractions Carbis Bay Beach and St Ives ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (39 reviews)
"It was really nice and quite place to relax. It will be much better if it had a something like a shelter in front of the bungalow."

Reviewed on 27 Jul 2025

WOODLAND RETREAT - Summer school holiday dates still available.
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

Things to do