St Ives' secret dog beach is sandwiched between Porthwidden Beach to the north and Harbour Beach to the south. Sheltered and sometimes shady, it is hardly ever crowded, except that is, when a north-easterly makes it a first-rate surf beach....

The artist Barbara Hepworth created both the Subtropical Gardens and Sculpture Park in St Ives as a place of relaxation and somewhere to show her work. Visitors can now get away from the tourist bustle of the town and...

This is the only private art gallery in Cornwall regularly showing work by major artists of the St Ives Modern Period. They include Patrick Heron, Peter Lanyon, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Tom Early. The gallery also represents other important...

Carbis Bay is situated between St Ives and Lelant in Cornwall and is a beautiful and generally quiet beach that is less busy than some of the other beaches in the area. The bay has long broad sands and...

Carrack Gladden is a wildlife-rich headland sandwiched between the sandy beaches of Porth Kidney Sands and Carbis Bay. Part of the Hayle Estuary and Carrack Gladden Site of Special Scientific Interest, it comprises a range of habitats including maritime heathland...

The Cintra was one of four ships wrecked in St Ives during the Great Gale of 18th November 1893. Its anchor was brought up from the seabed in 1959 and placed here on Smeaton's Pier. It is a reminder of...

St Ives’ former Teetotal Methodist Chapel is now filled with one-off shops and galleries. Among them, a café with an art gallery attached, which hosts a varied programme of events, a children's clothes shops, a hairdressers, and a gallery showcasing...

Like many Cornish towns, St Ives has a long tradition of non-conformism, as you can see from the many Methodist chapels in the town. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement preached in St Ives before anywhere else in...

Sandwiched between Porthmeor Beach and the Harbour, Gallery on the Square seeks to convey the essence of the sea through work that is high quality, unique and contemporary. That includes jewellery, ceramics, paintings and sculpture by artists from around the...

The St Ives September Festival is a two-week long music and arts extravaganza. Many events are hosted here at the Guildhall, including live music, theatre, comedy, cabaret and talks. For the rest of the year, the Guildhall is a popular...

The best bucket-and-spade beach in St Ives is a south-facing sun trap sheltered from Atlantic winds by high harbour walls. This is a busy town beach next to a working fishing harbour, which is surrounded by cafés, pubs, restaurants, shops...

The Island Lookout stands on Lamp Rock, so-called because the earliest lookout consisted of a pole and a lamp. Today, there is an NCI (National Coastwatch Institution) Station here, which works with the RNLI, HM Coastguard and Air Sea Rescue...

In prehistoric times, The Island was separated from St Ives at high tide. Although it is no longer an island, it is still surrounded by the sea on three sides, offering beautiful views up and down the coast. It is...

St Ives' new harbour front Lifeboat House was built in 1994. It allows for lifeboats to be launched via a slipway directly into St Ives Harbour. Before 1994, boats had to be towed to the slipway on Harbour Beach. In...

The Malakoff is a hill top area to the south of the town's harbour. Attractions include a small garden from where you can see not only St Ives Bay all around, but also this statue by Barbara Hepworth called Epidauros...

One of St. Ives' most distinctive buildings, the Market House has an unusual rounded rectangular shape. Built in 1832, for the sum of £840, it was designed by James Harvey, Edward Harvey and Alexander Berriman, of Penzance. The ground floor...

This is Cornwall's largest independent gallery. Three floors of exhibition space are filled with local, Cornish and international art in an attempt to showcase museum-quality art in St Ives. Work is exhibited with an emphasis on authenticity. Exhibitions have included...

This gallery has been open continuously in St Ives longer than any other. Established by Janet Leach, wife of Bernard Leach, in 1962, it is now regarded as one of the most important spaces for contemporary art in St Ives....

Porthgwidden is an east-facing, early-bird beach, which catches the morning sun. Other reasons to get here early include an excellent beachfront café for your morning coffee and a chance to park right next to the beach. Arrive too late and...

Just one of the beautiful beaches that surround the lovely town of St. Ives, Porthmeor is a wide and steep beach favoured by local surfers. It becomes very busy in the summer and although there is parking available nearby it...

Clear turquoise waters, golden sands and magical views across St Ives Bay to Godrevy Lighthouse make this beach one of the best in Cornwall. Beach-goers are well catered for with bucket-and-spade shops, bars, cafés and an award-winning seafood restaurant. You...

These workshops house a dozen arts and crafts studios. Ceramics, jewellery, stained glass, fine art, woodcrafts, hand made cards and unique homeware is created and sold here. If you don't find what you are looking for, you can commission one...

John Smeaton is often called the father of civil engineering. The design of the third and most famous Eddystone Lighthouse is among his achievements. He designed this pier in 1766. It encloses a harbour, which fills at high tide with...

Artists have been drawn to the unique light of St Ives for over a century. Historically, they met here, at the St Ives Arts Club, where the long tradition of artists painting and socializing together is carried on to this...

St Ives Ceramics is one of the South West's premier galleries. Owned by John Bedding, potter, former apprentice and then assistant to Bernard Leach, the gallery showcases high-quality ceramics by local and international master potters. Several exhibitions run each year,...

More than just a library, St Ives library is an art gallery, a museum, a community centre and an IT centre rolled into one. Art works on display include 'St Ives Bay from Clodgy' by Robert Borlase Smart, 'Rock Form',...

St Ives Museum is run by enthusiastic local volunteers who are on hand to tell you everything you could want to know about the history of this West Cornwall town. The museum has a wonderful collection of art, mining,...

One of the tallest in Cornwall, this church has a tower over 24 metres high. It is made from huge granite slabs, which were brought up the coast from Zennor by sea. Probably best viewed from the water, the church...

St Ives has been renowned for its thriving art scene since Turner began painting here at the beginning of the 19th Century. The St Ives Society of Artists was established in the 1920s and the gallery houses the art...

Porthmeor is St Ives' best surf beach, and it is the location of the town’s only surf school. St Ives Surf School offers surfing tuition geared to a range of abilities, from complete beginner to advanced surfer. All instructors are...

This 320-seat theatre is housed in a converted Wesleyan chapel. It is the home of Kidz R Us, an award-winning theatre group dedicated to encouraging young people to participate in the performing arts. The group was founded in 1994. Three...

St. Ives Bay is a clear shallow body of turquoise water ringed by miles and miles of golden sandy beaches. Explore it by taking a boat from St. Ives Harbour, or walk the South West Coast Path from Godrevy Point...

It is worth getting the train to St. Ives for the views alone. The St. Ives Branch Line clings to the coast for much of its length, practically running along the sand at Carbis Bay and Porthminster Beaches, and St....

St Nicholas is the patrol saint of sailors, and this little hilltop chapel dedicated to him is bordered by the sea on three sides. It dates from at least the 15th century, according to written records, but it is probably...

The Tate Gallery in St Ives is within easy walking distance of the town centre and the beautiful Porthmeor Beach in Cornwall. St Ives has been closely associated with artists and art for many years and the Tate represents...

High above the sea at Porthminster Point, the Baulking House once served as a lookout by huers who looked out for shoals of pilchards entering St. Ives Bay. Once spotted, they would signal to the fishing boats below with the...

St. Ives is mostly made up of beaches, but connecting them is a maze of narrow streets. The Digey runs between from Porthmeor Beach to Fore Street just behind the Harbour. Look out for the arch that smugglers would duck...

A well of colour and calm in the middle of St Ives, Trewyn Gardens can be seen from many of the town's streets. You can get into them though by walking around the back of Barclay's Bank. As well as...

This is a town centre gallery specializing in figurative paintings in addition to ceramics, studio glasswork and sculpture. Two one-man shows are held each year, and the gallery also has its own portfolio of artists working in different media. You...

The Wills Lane Gallery has a mission to bring exceptional contemporary and applied art to the South West of England. The gallery showcases the work of emerging local artists and designers as well as those of national and international significance....