St Ives

Travel Guide

St Ives showing boating, a bay or harbor and a coastal town
St Ives showing boating, a coastal town and rocky coastline
Porthmeor Beach featuring a coastal town and a sandy beach as well as a large group of people
Porthminster Beach featuring swimming and a beach
St Ives which includes general coastal views, a coastal town 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 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 ₩102,745 per night from Mar 2 to Mar 3
₩102,745
₩123,294 total
includes taxes & fees
Mar 2 - Mar 3
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! (953 reviews)
"Upgraded room FOC with sea view and excellent food"

Reviewed on Feb 14, 2025

Tregenna Castle Resort
Harbour Hotel St Ives
Harbour Hotel St Ives
4 out of 5
The Terrace, St Ives, England
The price is ₩226,644 per night from Mar 2 to Mar 3
₩226,644
₩271,973 total
includes taxes & fees
Mar 2 - Mar 3
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! (581 reviews)
"Gorgeous views. Nice gym with sea views. Comfortable bed. Good breakfast, although we did chip a tooth on the granola. And the elevator broke at checkout time. But overall nice stay"

Reviewed on Feb 14, 2025

Harbour Hotel St Ives
The St Ives Bay Hotel
The St Ives Bay Hotel
3.5 out of 5
The Terrace, Cornwall, St Ives, England
The price is ₩88,391 per night from Mar 16 to Mar 17
₩88,391
₩106,070 total
includes taxes & fees
Mar 16 - Mar 17
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 (499 reviews)
"Lift only in one part"

Reviewed on Jan 12, 2025

The St Ives Bay Hotel
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.
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 Leach Pottery Museum and South West Coast Path Section 20 Trailhead are located ...
The Lighthouse
Una St. Ives
Una St. Ives
5 out of 5
Laity Lane Carbis Bay, St Ives, England
Stay at this 5-star luxury aparthotel in St Ives. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a full-service spa. Popular attractions Carbis Bay Beach and Porth Kidney ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (54 reviews)
"Great pool and gym and wonderful clean and quiet accomodation"

Reviewed on Oct 15, 2024

Una 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.

Popular places to visit

Reviews of St Ives

4.7
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
10
5 - Excellent 67%
4 - Good
5
4 - Good 33%
3 - Okay
0
3 - Okay 0%
2 - Disappointing
0
2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
0
1 - Terrible 0%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Check with any restaurants you are willing to go to as their season often starts between late March and Easter time.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

It's easy to get their from London Heathrow. Take the Heathrow Express to Paddington. The train goes to Penzance. One can transfer at St. Erth.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Absolutely gorgeous Fishing Town in Cornwall.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

The area is beautiful! We walked around the port, visited 2 museums & dined in the town. The taxi service is terrific & spared us the ordeal of driving the narrow streets.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

The residents of St. Ives are intelligent, friendly, accommodating, hardy, resourceful, and quite artistic. St. Ives has a rugged and wild beauty that I will remember fondly for the rest of my life.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Very friendly quaint and charming seaside village. Cottage was ideal this time of year with gas fireplace, comfortable king bed and very nice bathroom with separate amazing shower. Spent a week in St. Ives studying pottery at Leach Pottery.

Cities near St Ives