St Ives is one of Cornwall’s most favourite holiday destinations due to its expansive sandy beaches, clear blue sea, charming galleries, gardens and quay-side cafes.

Nestling amongst Cornwall''s magnificent coastal scenery, St Ives is centred on its picturesque harbour, where you can watch fishing boats come and go as they unload their catch of fresh seafood, destined for the many excellent restaurants in town.

It’s easy to while away the hours exploring the narrow cobbled streets, lined with old fishermen’s cottages, boutique shops and art galleries; occasionally glimpsing a lovely view of St Ives Bay. In fact the town is renowned for attracting artists who come here for the vivid colours of the blue sea; a result of the brilliant light and unpolluted atmosphere. There are many places where examples of its artistic tradition can be seen, including the renowned Tate St Ives.

St Ives is blessed with clean sandy beaches; just perfect for family cottage holidays and beautiful scented sub-tropical gardens due to its mild, year-round climate and proximity to the Gulf Stream. It’s also ideal for those who love their watersports, with excellent surfing beaches close by such as Porthmeor.

Experience one of Britain’s most scenic coastal railways which calls at St Ives and passes through some magnificent scenery or take one of the coastal walking paths to appreciate the sea views and return by train.

St Ives has a sophisticated and cosmopolitan atmosphere that equally caters for great family holidays by the sea, romantic breaks for couples or activity based holidays for groups of friends.

To experience the unique charms of this place see our selection of St Ives cottages.