Eating - St Ives has a fabulous choice of pubs, cafes and restaurants and during your
stay you’re sure to discover your own favourites. If you’re looking for freshly caught
local Cornish seafood try Alba, set in the old lifeboat house right on the
harbour just
two minutes walk from the apartment. For breathtaking views and breathtaking food we love
The Porthminster Cafe, a white Art-Deco restaurant right on the golden Porthminster beach;
a perfect location to watch the sun go down (01736 795352 www.porthminstercafe.co.uk )
Beaches – Porthmeor Beach offers the best waves for surfers, overlooked by the world famous Tate St Ives gallery. Our personal favourite, especially for an early morning swim, is the small sheltered cove of Porthgwidden with its lovely intimate café/restaurant serving gorgeous breakfasts and stunning suppers. But Porthminster Beach also has a place in our hearts, a perfect family beach with soft creamy sand.
Coastal Walks – are you looking for a jaw-dropping, spine-tingling coastal walk? Look no further! If you love mermaids, wild moorland and real Cornish ale, the hauntingly beautiful St Ives to Zennor coast walk will be a highlight of your stay (www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southwestcoastpath). This classic coastal walk takes you from sandy Porthmeor beach - beloved of surfers and home to Tate St Ives – along a beautiful stretch of wild moors and rocky headland. After around 7 miles (4 hours) you’ll land tired but exhilarated in the intriguing village of Zennor where you can refuel at The Tinner’s Arms, a 13th century pub serving Cornish ales (including Zennor’s Mermaid), Cornish cheese and locally caught fish (www.tinnersarms.com 01736 7969270). In Zennor, head to the church to see the carved Mermaid Chair, linked to the legend of a mermaid who fell in love with a local chorister. Or why not visit the Wayside Folk Museum, housing around 5000 artefacts ranging from archaeological finds to a blacksmith’s forge.
Surfing and scuba diving - we’ve tried St Ives Surf, on Porthminster Beach just in front of The Tate, where you can hire a wet suit and a board and have lessons to teach you the basics in a couple of hours. Dive St Ives is the place to go if you want to dive among the remains of local shipwrecks.
Galleries and studios – lose yourself in one of the multitude of galleries in the narrow, cobbled lanes of St Ives and find your own perfect piece of art or design inspired by the coast.
The Tate & Barbara Hepworth – after the war artists began to migrate to St Ives in larger numbers, some making it their permanent home. Open since 1993, Tate St Ives presents important works created during this period, as well as exhibitions of international Modern and contemporary art. Visiting the Barbara Hepworth Museum and sculpture garden is a unique experience, set in the house where she lived, worked and died, 5 minutes from The Tate and only 50 yeards from the apartment! (Tel 01736 796226 www.tate.org.uk)
Art Classes - St Ives School of Painting , offers life-drawing classes on Mondays and Wednesdays that you can join without booking from 7.30pm-9.30pm for £6.
St Michael's Mount - an island you can walk to when the tide is low, topped by a medieval castle that’s home to a modern family. See dolphins (if your very lucky), battlements and beautiful gardens, what more can we say? A wondrous day out (www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk 01736 710507)
Minack Theatre - in the evening, grab a picnic from the Fore Street Deli, right opposite the apartment, and enjoy it on the beach before taking in your chosen performance at Cornwall’s theatre under the stars. In 1929, Rowena Cade built her own stage by moving granite slabs down the hill in her cliff-side garden, perched high above the sea at Porthcurno. These days the stunning Greek-style theatre, three minutes from the surfing beaches of Sennen Cove, holds summer productions of Gilbert and Sullivan, Puccini and Shakespeare.
