Holiday Rentals in the seaside town of St Ives
This quaint seaside town lies in the north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic sea. Packed with cottages to rent and plenty of bed and breakfasts serving Cornish pastries and tea with scones, there is an accommodation to suit everyone. St Ives was voted the title for the Best UK Seaside Town from the British Travel Awards in 2010 and 2011. If you're an arty person stay in a cottage near the popular Tate St Ives or come for one of the many festivals that appear over the course of the year in St Ives.
How to get to St Ives?
From other parts of the UK, getting to St Ives can be a long journey. The quickest is to fly to Newquay Airport from London with a flying time of 1hr10mins. The easiest way although it takes a while, is to drive. Driving gives you flexibility and comfortability to travel on your own schedule and at your own pace. Some of the drive will be through stunning countryside scenery or along glorious coastlines.
Getting Around St Ives?
As previously suggested, driving is the best way to discover Cornwall – there are plenty of car parks as well as a Park and Ride system in place during busy months. If you don't have a car and aren't planning on driving, then there are several bus routes available for public use.
Where to stay?
St Ives is only a small seaside fishing port but Likibu offers a selection of places to stay. Why not search for a St Ives Hotel that overlooks the stunning Cornish coastline and serves delicious scones and cream. Book a holiday rental with glorious bay views or book a room in a pub with lovely local rooms. Be within walking distance of Tate St Ives where the famous Barbara Hepworth collection can be found or close to one of the 4 main beaches in St Ives whilst staying in an Airbnb. If you are with your family and want a place for yourself look at the selection of cottages in St Ives to rent for your holiday this summer!
What to do?
Tate St Ives
Since 1993, Tate St Ives has been a branch of the Tate Gallery. It stands out amongst the rest of the Cornish architecture as it is 3 storeys tall with an iconic circular entrance. There is a wonderful collection here and features of the St Ives School and artist Alfred Wallis.
Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden
The museum and gardens are where Hepworth worked in St Ives from 1949 until 1975. She was one of St Ives' most influential artists and she is best known for her geometric abstract sculptures which have holes in and tended to be in bronze. The gardens include many examples of her sculptures here as well as a lovely place to visit and read a book.
Surfing
Cornwall is generally known to be the place where surfers infiltrate to. Jutting out into St Ives Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, St Ives is a popular surfing destination. Porthmeor beach has strong challenging wave to ride as well as a few tucked away secret bays.
Beaches
For a more relaxed beach day, there are 4 main beaches within walking distance of the town. Porthminster is the second biggest beach and offers a lovely stretch of sand to walk along. The harbour beach is by the town and is a safe beach with weaker backwash, ideal for families with smaller children.
When to Go to St Ives?
Like all of England, summer has a habit of to be the most popular time to visit places. Cornwall tends to have hot summers with the occasional day of rain and wind. Unless you want to just visit the Tate or Barbara Hepworth in the winter there is no point in coming for walking or swimming in the sea!