St Ives
A Fishing Port That Became An Artists' Colony In The 20th Century, With Tate St Ives (Opened 1993) And The Barbara Hepworth Museum And Sculpture Garden. Porthminster, Porthmeor, Porthgwidden And Harbour Beaches Have Pale Sand And Clear Water But Are Very Crowded In Summer. · St Ives, England
St Ives is a fishing harbour on the north coast of west Cornwall that became an artists' colony in the 20th century, and it now lives on holidaymakers. The pull is the light, four pale-sand beaches (Porthminster, Porthmeor, Porthgwidden and the harbour beach) and a tangle of lanes lined with fishermen's cottages, galleries and pasty shops. Tate St Ives sits above Porthmeor beach and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden is a short walk away. Be honest with yourself about July and August: the town is extremely crowded, the lanes are narrow and parking is genuinely hard. Come by train on the St Erth branch line or use the park-and-ride, and confirm both before you travel. Out of season, in May, June or September, or on a bright winter day, it is far more pleasant. It suits couples, families with beach plans and anyone who likes art. Allow a day, or a night if you can avoid peak weekends, and watch your pasty near the gulls.
Harbour town on the north coast of west Cornwall with four beaches, the Tate St Ives gallery above Porthmeor beach, narrow lanes of fishermen's cottages and a branch railway from St Erth, St Ives, England, United Kingdom
The town, harbour and beaches are open at all hours and are free to enter, though the beach cafes, shops and galleries mostly trade from about mid-morning to late afternoon or early evening, with longer hours in summer and many places shorter or shut in winter. Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum are ticketed and keep set days and hours, usually closing one day a week outside peak season. The Tate may be partly shut for building works at times, so confirm what is open before you buy a ticket or plan around it. Beach lifeguards cover Porthminster and Porthmeor in season only, roughly late spring to early autumn, so check the dates. The harbour beach is tidal and shrinks to almost nothing at high water.