JESSIE'S
PLACE
A Southwestern Escape
Things to do in St. Ives.
About St. Ives...
Eat. Drink.
There are so many fantastic eating places both along the Harbour front and throughout the town.
The annual St. Ives Food and Drink Festival
takes place in May on the iconic Porthminster Beach and includes culinary experts, artisan producers, attractions and a wide variety of local beverages and food.
Shop.
From larger stores with a nautical heritage to individual art and craft shops. Local paintings and handmade jewellry can be found alongside the delicious aromas of homemade scones and of course, the famous Cornish pasty.
There is a Farmers Market in the Guildhall every Thursday where you can stock up on local produce from clotted cream for that must-have Cornish cream tea, to locally distilled Gin and don't forget a bottle of 'Boilers' Golden Cornish Ale from the independant St Ives Brewery
Art.
Tate St Ives - situated on the site of a former gas works, the gallery stands high above magnificent Porthmeor Beach. Tate St Ives was opened in 1993 by H.R.H. Prince Charles. This imposing building, a work of art in itself, with its spectacular stained glass window designed by acclaimed painter Patrick Heron was designed by award winning architects Eldred Evans and David Shalev.
The tate also manages the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Sea.Sand.
Boat tours, fishing, surfing and seal spotting are all available from the Harbour. If you are lucky you will also spot some dolphins playing in the surf.
There is a beach for everyone in St Ives - even the dog!. Porthmeor is the Blue Flag Atlantic Ocean family and surfing beach with a surf school, fine golden sand, good sunbathing by day and spectacular sunsets. The tidal, sandy-bottomed harbour is still a working port where you can watch the local fishermen landing their daily fresh catches of locally caught seafood. Porthgwidden is a delightful small sandy cove and sun-trap with safe bathing and beach huts for hire.
Sheltered Porthminster beach boasts almost half a mile of golden sands with calm sea conditions ideal for families. You can start a scenic cliff walk to Carbis Bay (another Blue Flag beach) on the South West Coast Path here.
Finally - for the dog - there are two small tidal beaches in the town which allow unrestricted dog access all year; Bamaluz which is located between the Harbour and Porthgwidden and Lambeth Walk which is located behind the Lifeboat station.
Walk.
The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for 630 miles, running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset.
You can pick up the path in St Ives and go either toward Carbis Bay and the beautiful long stretch of sandy beach there or head across the rugged cliffs for a completely diffewrent experience - look down into sheltered, rocky coves...is this where smugglers brought their contraband ashore?
Other activities.
Take advantage of a Pirate or Ghost walk around the town to learn more about the rich heritage and folklore of this magical place.
St Ives in December has become an
established annual event in the weeks running up to Christmas. Of course St Ives is already world famous for its New Years Eve fancy dress evening which attracts thousands of revellers into the streets to see in the new year culminating in a spectacular firework show in the harbour at mid-night.
Other events in the town in the weeks leading up to Christmas include various craft and food fairs, and Santa railway train rides on the St Ives Link along with many other attractions.
The St Ives Festival Of Literature generally takes place during the second week of May
The St Ives September Festival celebrates the town's artistic heritage with a festival of Music and the Arts. The festival always runs through the middle two weeks of September with a large variety of musical performances and arts events, gallery exhibitions 'open days', talks, lectures, poetry readings and workshops.