THE 10 BEST Things to Do in St Ives (2024) - Must-See Attractions
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Things to Do in St Ives
Check out must-see sights and activities:
Carbis Bay Beach, Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, Art Galleries, Scenic Walking Areas. For personalised recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
Carbis Bay Beach, Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, Art Galleries, Scenic Walking Areas. For personalised recommendations, try our AI trip-planning product.
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Historical Toursfromper group (up to 4)£550
Historical Toursfromper adult£627- fromper group (up to 6)£675
- fromper group (up to 4)£690
Historical Toursfromper adult£16
Craft Classesfromper group (up to 2)£308
Historical Toursfromper group (up to 7)£500
Historical Toursfromper group (up to 7)£500
Climbingfromper adult£55
Historical Toursfromper adult£10
Beaches
Sheltered beach with calm turquoise waters ideal for paddle boarding and kayaking, complemented by coastal walks, caves exploration, and wildlife sightings.
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Sculpture garden and artist's former home with peaceful ambiance; showcases evocative sculptures amid serene greenery and offers a glimpse into the creator's studio and process.
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Beaches
Pristine beach with clear waters and golden sands, featuring kayak rentals, beach games, and dog-friendly zones. Relish in a cafe with genuine coffee or dine at a distinguished local restaurant.
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Theatres
Local theatre in West Cornwall stages captivating musicals and plays, appealing to all ages with skilled young actors and impressive set designs. Enjoy moving performances from comedy to tragedy.
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Beaches
Family-friendly beach with clean sand and waves conducive to surfing and bodyboarding, complemented by changing rooms, showers, and a cafe with a pleasant menu.
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Beaches
Golden sand beach with a changing landscape due to tides, ideal for swimming and seal watching. The locality radiates a local charm with independent shops and eateries, plus maritime history.
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Points of Interest & Landmarks
Speciality Museums
Historical museum with a quaint collection of local artifacts, providing a glimpse into the area's cultural heritage and past lifestyles.
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Beaches
Pristine beach with calm waters and scenic views, ideal for family outings. Features a quaint café and provides a serene coastal escape. Early arrival suggested for prime spots.
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Other Top Attractions around St Ives
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Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, popularity, user preferences, price, and bookings made through Tripadvisor.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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What travellers are saying
- Marcus SPlymouth, UK252 contributionsOne of the most beautiful beaches in cornwall. Absolutely stunning a huge beach you would think you were somewhere abroadWritten 7 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Bmoeuk607 contributionsVery interesting little museum . Housed in Barbara house it tells the story of her life and shows some of her work and her workshop. The garden is wonderful so well planted and it blends well with her sculptures. Take some headphones and listen to the audio tour it’s very well done. A very peaceful place. ,Written 11 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- TW3BeeHounslow, UK117 contributionsLovely beach, even just to go for a walk along.
Being the time of the year it was, during a school term, it wasn't as crowded as when we have visited in the past.Written 22 June 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Kevin B12 contributionsJust had the true pleasure of seeing this fantastic youth theatre perform Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour dreamcoat at the amazing Minack Theatre, Porthcurno. We were blessed with lovely sunny weather on Saturday, which made the whole experience truly memorable. For visitors to Cornwall, you MUST..MUST..MUST ..visit The Minack Theatre. And you MUST try to get to see Kidsrus... perform ANYTHING! ANYWHERE ! This group , of FORTY FIVE (!) young actors yet again were outstanding. The production was superb. The singing was a joy. The "orchestra" was wonderful.... and then the kids on stage. AMAZI😲😲NG. There was a lovely twist to the show which should remain a secret.. as only Theatre goers deserve to know and remember. 😂 😂. Congratulations to everyone at KidsrUs, connected with this production. You ALL deserve gold Medals. You continue the outstanding record of producing wonderful shows for the public. Please.. NEVER STOP. And, thankyou for all the effort, practice training, long nights in preparing for the Minack. When are you being invited to the West End?Written 6 May 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Nelgumford862 contributionsIt was worth pressing on around the headland to get to this hidden treasure of a beach. The parking was a bit of a nightmare but it was a lovely and enclosed, sandy beach. Good, if you like wet sand.Written 9 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Sallochy2016Veghel, The Netherlands2,829 contributionsThe weather was moderatie so a good day to visit harbour beach in St. Ives. Lovely scenery of small boats laying in the sand. At low tide a beautiful spectacle!Written 7 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- WaterWonkySacramento, CA1 contributionWe took the hike starting at Porthmeor Beach in St. Ives to the Tinner's Arms in Zennor. It was absolutely stunning. While the hike itself was only about 7.5 miles, our fitness watches said we climbed the equivalent of 100 flights of stairs but it was so, so worth it The views don't stop the entire route. The end mile or two will have you scrambling up and down some large boulders - the trail smacks right up into them and you just need to climb up or down using your best caution and judgment. I wasn't prideful... just scooted down my rear where it was a little too steep. Once you reach the Tinner's Arms, grab a pint and relax. They have a phone just for getting a taxi. Ours was there in less than 20 minutes to take us back to St. Ives. One word of caution, we did see an adder (they are poisonous) early on the trail about a mile out of town, but it just slithered into the bushes. Just be smart and don't stick your hands/feet/appendages where you can't be certain of your surroundings.Written 14 May 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- DavidjellisLowestoft, UK9,473 contributionsI visited St Ives for a few hours as part of a cruise ship excursion from Falmouth and had a wonderful time. Although very busy it didn't distract from the natural beauty of the area, with a variety of beaches to enjoy, from surfing beaches to sandy havens it was really pretty, especially in the warm sunshine.
The town / village centre is quaint with narrow streets full of curiosity shops, art stores, many places selling traditional Cornish pasties, a couple of pubs, etc...so many pretty places to see. Our cruise excursion bus parked up near the rugby ground and we got a local minibus to take us down to Porthmeor beach, from where we could explore the various attractions and sights.
Our guide said that the tourists are best advised to park at Erith and get the scenic train trip into St Ives, and described it as one of the prettiest train journeys in Britain, so that sounds a good plan, although when we drove past Erith train station it was packed...but parking in St Ives itself is unlikely to be an option in the peak summer season.
I loved my visit to St Ives...and would certainly recommend it.Written 25 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Stephen CWest Sussex, UK127 contributionsThis is a town museum of the old school, and the better for it! Spread across two floors and divided into rooms by themes.
Lots of genuine exhibits of local interest, many donated by the original owners or their families, or on permanent loan from same.
Lots to see - and lots to explore. It's a place where you can look for as much or as little detail as you wish, but something is bound to catch your eye. The volunteers are on hand to answer questions should you have any. We had a very enjoyable and informative visit.
Be aware it's also a museum of the "look, don't touch" type. Younger children will not find many items for them to play with and it doesn't have interactive touch-screen games or the like. No photos for this review as there was a "no photos please" sign, which I obeyed.Written 8 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Nelgumford862 contributionsI particlarly liked this beach. Holidaymakers were playing beach sports on it, which was wonderful to see. I definitely think that it is worth seeking this one out. The parking is a nightmare.Written 9 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Timothy F33 contributionsRan the coastal path this afternoon from Zennor to st Ives . Turned out to be 7 miles . Hard going at times. But managed to Run it in 90 mins .Written 11 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- lizzieandgirlsWeston super Mare, UK8 contributionsWonderful. Great for our dogs.
Loved it. Watch time tides.
Nice calm, lovely area. We parked in the car park; which was down a track.
Ploughman’s at the pub on the way out was so good!Written 23 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
The above attraction descriptions were created by AI, using information and phrases commonly found in reviews users submitted to Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor did not create and is not responsible for any of the above hotel descriptions. Please read full traveller reviews for more details and information. If you believe something in one of these AI-generated descriptions is inaccurate, please share your feedback.
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