st. ives
Both the town and its setting are very beautiful.
It is a delight to wander the narrow cobbled streets
of the old quarter, especially during the summer
months when hundreds of flower boxes and baskets
leave them awash with colour, or sit and watch
the life around the harbour.
There are plenty of restaurants, shops and pubs
to chose from, lots of entertainment, the coastal
path for marvellous walks along the cliffs and
of course beautiful clean beaches only a few minutes
walk away. In short – it is very hard to
get bored in St. Ives.
the art
Drawn by the beauty of the town and it’s
surroundings and by the famous quality of its
light, artists have come to live and work in St
Ives for well over a hundred years. Painters, potters,
sculpturers, printmakers, photographers, jewellery
designers past and present – you will find
their work in plenty of galleries and craft shops
all over the town, and of course in the Tate Gallery
and the Barbara Hepworth Museum.
the beaches
There are five beaches in st ives, all of them
in easy reach of 'ultramarine'. With their fine
clean sand and the ever-changeing colours of the
crystal clear water they are as beautiful and attractive
as any in the Mediterranean, and certainly amongst
the best in Britain. Three of these beaches are
supervised and have toilet facilities, shops and
a cafe/restaurant.
Porthminster beach facing south
east is gently sloping and therefore has very safe
bathing. Porthmeor beach facing north is a prime
surfing venue, and a surf school operates from
its west end. Bathing is safe within the flagged
areas and watching the sun-set from this beach
is a must. Both these beaches have been awarded
with a "blue flag" for cleanliness of sand and
water and good facilities.
Porthgwidden beach is
a lovely little beach in-between these two, with
safe bathing in the flagged area. Best beach for
morning sun-bathing!
what else?
St Ives has a lot to offer. Some of the pubs and
hotels provide live entertainment on some nights
of the week. There is a Jazz Club, a range of theatre
and musical theatre companies offer shows at most
times of the year. There are feasts and festivals,
exhibitions and private views, the Minack Theatre,
the cinema, St Ives Arts Club with comedy and music
nights and parties, a surf school, diving classes,
boat trips from the harbour and lots more.
