St Ives - Probably the best beaches in Cornwall

Approaching St Ives

St Ives (Cornish: Porth Ia) is probably everyone's idea of a holiday in Cornwall... Do you agree?

How do I sum up St. Ives?, well here goes... As a boy St. Ives was always the seaside, the place to go. Initially as part of the old Methodist tradition of 'Tea-treat', then as a place to go to 'catch some sun', later as a place to meet old friends and make new. Porthminster Beach St. Ives will always be the best beach ever. The sand was always fine and golden. The beach always seemed to be very clean, no litter or other unwanted rubbish. Other towns had people, St. Ives had characters, the lifeboatmen with their windburnt and weathered faces, wearing their smocks not just as a fashion accessory.

As I grew older I began to learn that St. Ives wasn't just ONE beach but a series of beaches each with a slightly different character. Porthminster (my favourite - a large crescent of northeast facing sand; Harbour (the Town beach); Porthgwidden (the smallest beach a good sheltered family beach with white sand - as its name implies - on the east side of St. Ives Island) and Porthmeor (a popular surfing beach on the west, Atlantic side, of the island overlooked by the Tate St. Ives - Tel. (01736) 796226. I learned that St. Ives is actually an anglicised form of the Cornish name for the town, which is Porth Ia or 'cove of St. Ia'; that St. Ives is just one bead on a fine necklace of golden Cornish beaches all the way around the 296 miles or so of the Cornish coast.

There are a number of very good hotels and guesthouses with prices to fit every pocket. Here are some of the best: