St Ives

St Ives is one of those rare places that earns every word written about it. Four beaches, cobbled lanes, fishermen’s cottages, independent galleries and some of the best restaurants in Cornwall — and above it all, a quality of light that has drawn artists here for well over a century. John Brett, Terry Frost and Barbara Hepworth all found something here they couldn’t find elsewhere. The Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden keep that artistic inheritance firmly alive.

The town was a medieval fishing hub and remains proudly maritime — leisure boats and day trips now outnumber the commercial catch, but Smeaton’s Pier still anchors the harbour’s identity. The St Ives Bay branch line arrived in 1877, bringing Victorian holidaymakers and firmly establishing the town as a destination. Today the train from St Erth is still the best way to arrive — the views across the bay on the approach are spectacular, and it sidesteps the summer parking entirely. For drivers, Trenwith car park by the leisure centre is the most sensible option.

The pub scene is as good as the gallery scene. The Sloop Inn — thought to date to around 1312 and one of Cornwall’s oldest — anchors the harbour end of town. For something livelier, there’s a below-street-level rum bar that consistently draws a crowd. Live music runs through the week in season.