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Town in Cornwall, England
Photo: (WT-en) StuartEdwards at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
St Ives (Cornish: Porth Ia) is a seaside town on the north coast of West Cornwall, near Penzance. In 2011 its population was 11,226.
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Outpost of the Tate, majoring on Cornwall-based artists such as Alfred Wallis, Terry Frost and Barbara Hepworth. The circular modern building is a nod to the gas works which used to stand here.
There is a combi-ticket with the Hepworth, and £1 off admission if you show a public transport ticket to town that day. A £15 Art Pass (valid 7 days) also gives admission to Penlee Gallery in Penzance.
Indoor gallery, garden display and studio showcasing the work of this influential sculptor, who worked in bronze, stone, wood and more.
Local history exhibition, in 2-storey building that has variously been a pilchard-curing factory, a chapel, laundry and cinema.
Art gallery with rotating exhibitions of modern fine art and ceramics.
One giant fancy dress party on the beach and in the town with fireworks at midnight.
It's a bistro rather than a beach shack, with good seafood and sea views.
Convenient and cosy restaurant serving burgers, including for vegetarians.
Simple veggie fare.
The Sloop Inn on the harbour front is one of the town's most popular, and you are likely to make at least one friend while there as most locals get on very well with fellow drinkers.
Another popular pub is The Legion at the bottom of the hill atop which St Ives Junior School resides. It is very similar to the Sloop, but be aware of rowdiness late at night.
Clean comfy hostel.
Friendly and totally vegetarian B&B in Carbis Bay. Rooms are small but clean and modern.
A family-run hotel with great views over town and sea. With restaurant, indoor pool & onsite free car parking. They also accept dogs in some rooms.
Small family-run hotel with cozy rooms. Free wifi and affordable rates.
This cosy central B&B gets great reviews for its hospitality.
Cornwall Cottage Boutique manage some three dozen self-catering holiday cottages in St Ives. Minimum stay 7 nights.
A small hotel in a converted Edwardian seaside villa near the centre of town.
A cozy Edwardian villa with sea views and organic breakfast from local produce.
Lovely stylish B&B with six rooms in 19th C terrace. Open Apr-Dec, no children under 12 or dogs.
A mid-sized luxury hotel on the beach. Has an outdoor pool and some self-catering cottages.
Edwardian villa with 9 chic rooms overlooking Carbis Bay. Open April to mid-Oct, no children under 16.
A small private hotel with great views and friendly staff.
Upscale boutique hotels with modern design, great food and lovely views of the beach.
Large smart hotel in large grounds on the hill above the town. Often has functions such as weddings.
Luxury self-catering apartments, minimum stay 7 nights.
Comfortable modern hotel on cliff-top just south of town. Good restaurant. By car follow signs to railway station, use station car-park to unload, descend steps to hotel. Don't try to drive into the narrow alley just in front of hotel. Hotel can reserve spaces in station car-park, £12/day.
By train
The nearest main line station is St Erth, 4 miles south of St Ives. Most trains from London and south-west England stop here on their way to Penzance, another 10 min down the line.
By coach
National Express coaches to Penzance stop at nearby St Erth. Coach NX404 runs overnight from London Victoria (8 hr) via Heathrow Airport, Bath, Bristol Airport, Exeter, Torquay and Plymouth.
By car
St Ives is a 5- to 6-hour drive from London via M4, M5, A30 and finally A3074. It's a long way and at some point you'll need to refuel.
Walking is best for St Ives centre, where the streets are narrow and congested. Don't bring a car here, but driving makes sense for outlying accommodation and beaches at Carbis Bay, Lelant and Hayle.
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