St. Ives, Cornwall Coast, England
Surfing, Excellent Restaurants and Art Galleries
St. Ives offers everything you could wish for in a seaside resort. Sandy beaches, an attractive town, the Tate St. Ives Art Gallery and excellent restaurants.
It is easy to see why St. Ives was declared the best seaside town by the UK national newspaper the Guardian in 2007. The town boasts a picturesque harbor, two sandy beaches and a beautifully preserved town center. The cobbled streets and alleyways that climb from the waterfront are full of funky cafes, chic boutiques, intriguing art galleries and top class restaurants.
The harbor
The harbor is the heart of the town of St. Ives. St. Ives was a very busy fishing port until the beginning of the twentieth century; the colorful fishing boats moored in the harbor still bring in plentiful supplies of fresh fish for local restaurants.
Leading up from the harbor are picturesque cobbled streets surrounded by lovely, colorful traditional houses.
Beaches
The larger sandy Porthmeor beach is popular with surfers, while the smaller Porthgwidden beach is more sheltered. A peninsula known as the island separates the two beaches.
Tate St.. Ives
The finest art produced around St. Ives is on show at the Tate St. Ives above Porthmeor beach. The gallery is associated with the well known Tate Gallery in London.
Artists have appreciated the clear light of St. Ives since the nineteenth century; including the well known sculptor Barbara Hepworth, who also has her own museum close to the Tate St. Ives in Back Street.
The Tate St. Ives is a light, white painted building with a panoramic view of the beach which offers the perfect setting in which to appreciate the works of art on display.
Places to Eat
Restaurants and cafes abound in St. Ives, often specializing in the fresh fish supplied by the towns fishing fleet. Tucked away on a street above the waterfront is “Peppers” restaurant (22 Fore Street, 01736 794 0140) which offers excellent food, including fresh fish, for very reasonable prices.
Seal boat trips
The St. Ives Pleasure Boat Association offers trips to visit Seal Island to the west of St. Ives to observe Atlantic Seals. Contact the association on + 44 7821 774 178 (from outside the UK) 07821 774 178 (from within the UK) or by email: info@stivesboats.co.uk.
Travel to St Ives
St. Ives has a railway station; train travel to St. Ives from London Paddington Station takes around 5 ½ hours with a change of train at St. Erth, Cornwall. Travel by car to St. Ives has become easier since the recent improvements in the A30 main road. Travel time by car from London is around 5 ½ hours, but do beware the heavy traffic in the West of England during the busy tourist season of July and August.
While in Cornwall don't miss the giant green houses of exotic plants at the Eden Project which has welcomed over eight million visitors since it opened in 2001; the Eden Project is around 50 miles north east of St. Ives. And just nine miles to the south of St Ives, on the south Cornwall coast, is St. Michael's Mount, a magical island fortress with beautiful hanging gardens.
