St Ives Town in England

Hello again to another adventure. Today we will share with you one of the most beautiful places to go to in Cornwall. An amazing seaside town with beautiful beaches and fascinating old houses. Join us today as I share with you our experience on this escapade.

Welcome to St Ives.

If you are driving going to St Ives it may be a bit challenging as the streets here are very narrow. Finding a parking spot will also be a challenge since there are so many tourists visiting here every day. We circled a lot of times before we were able to find a parking space which was at the very top.

At the car park entrance, there is a map that will show your current location. These days we rely on Google Maps for our directions. The map here is great for a quick look and overview of St Ives.

After descending from the parking area, we headed to the streets and this amazing mural caught my attention. Not only is St Ives known for its surf beaches but it is also known for art. There are painting, art, and pottery schools here.

As we explored the streets we saw the old medieval market house from 1490. The second floor used to be the Townhall and today it is the Constitutional club to play billiards. An old market place and is still occupied by shops to this day.

St Ives is crowded with tourists as expected but walking the streets is very interesting. You would hardly notice the people as you get distracted by the beautiful old buildings and shops.

Cornwall is very with its Cornish pasties and I have never heard of it before. Coming from the Philippines we are used to eating rice meals but we are still discovering the food specialties in each area that we visit.

We tried the traditional steak pastie but were unable to take a photo. The pastie contains meat with potatoes which is something similar to what we have back home in the Philippines called the empanada.

What would you like to try from this menu?

The products here are baked fresh daily and from the window outside you can see how it is made. A great way to showcase your product is by showing how it is made and not hidden away at the back.

They also sell honey, jams and preserves which is a great combination for their baked goods.

Just a few steps away from the bakery is the Celtic cross. A war memorial dedicated to the men of St Ives who gave their lives. Not only a memorial for the Great War but also for the past wars.

Just beside the Celtic Cross memorial is St Ia's Parish Church. The church is the oldest in St. Ives and dates back to the time of King Henry V. The tower is made of granite and stands over 80 feet. It is one of the places to visit as you walk along the streets of St. Ives.

As always I have been fascinated with the painted glass windows in churches. I always take time to view these windows, especially in the afternoon as the warm glow of the sun shines through.

The place is crowded with tourists everywhere you go. People are attracted here because of it's old seaside charm. Despite the crowd, you will still enjoy roaming around this charming town.

There are two main beaches in St. Ives. The first one is called Porthminster Beach. It is a beautiful beach with yellow sand and clear waters. Pets are not allowed on the beach so if you have pets with you, just enjoy the town.

St Ives Harbour used to be dependent on fishing with a lot of fishing boats back in the day. These days you could still go fishing on the harbor catch a mackerel or rent out boats to take you out to sea. St. Ives thrives on tourism and art which was a big transition from fishing.

The harbor exposes a where people could set up tents and enjoy basking in the sun. But in this area, the tide rises quickly and could fill the harbor with water within a few hours.

Properties perched on the coast are expensive in St. Ives but waking up to the view of the harbor will be worth it. It is a great place to live if you don't mind the thousands of tourists every day.

We head back to explore the streets and navigate our way thru the crowd. I drove into this area earlier when we were looking for a parking spot. It was very difficult to pass thru the crowd not to mention the very narrow streets.

There are so many restaurants to choose from but didn't see a lot of fresh seafood. I was expecting a lot of seafood as it is a coastal town. Some serve crab and of course fish a chips.

As for accommodation, there are inns, hotels, and Airbnb to choose from. It could have been nice if we stayed overnight but we already have accommodation at our campsite which is a one-hour drive to here.

You can check out where we stayed in Cornwall Pensagillas Park Campsite UK.

Do you love ghost stories, especially here in St. Ives? Why don't you go on a walking tour to hear about the dark side of St. Ives? I would like to try this when we come back and stay for the night.

As it is known for art you will see a lot of art shops as you go along the way. I didn't focus much on the art side of St Ives and regret I didn't see more. This town is known for art but I was captivated by the beaches and the old buildings. On our return, I will try to see more of the art side.

We were all hungry and chose to eat at a restaurant called the Balcony. I was craving seafood and hopefully enjoy some here.

They also have tables outside if you like enjoying the view of the harbor while having a cold drink.

The restaurant was very busy during this time as it was lunchtime. The interior was very nice and they even allowed pets inside.

As for the seafood they only had prawns, squid, and fish. As for me, I ordered fish & chips and I think this is the most expensive fish and chips I have ever ordered. My wife decided to go for the squid-loaded fries.

The fish was crunch outside and moist inside. But I felt it had nothing special, all the fish a chips I have tried all tasted the same. Is there such a thing as authentic fish and chips? Is anyone here from London? Could point me in the direction of the best fish and chips? I would be grateful.

The squid was ok and my wife enjoyed it but for me, it wasn't something special. The serving was just enough for on person as expected as St. Ives in expensive.

After lunch, we headed out back to the streets to explore more of St. Ives. You can rent boats and jetskis if you want more water activities. You can even get a henna tattoo on one of the stalls in this area.

Restaurants are getting full and it is a good thing we already had lunch. If you want dessert there are a lot of Ice cream stores that offer the popular Cornish Ice Cream. What makes it special is because they use clotted cream which gives it a velvety texture.

We happen to pass by the oldest and most famous Inn here. It is said to date back to 1312 AD. It would have been nice to have a look inside.

There are flowers on lamp posts which I find very charming. Just behind it is just one of the many narrow streets in the area. I'm guessing that most of the houses here are airbnbs hidden away in this beautiful narrow street.

I love the red door of this house called Serendipity. I believe it is also for rent and could be quite expensive for an overnight stay.

We headed to the northern part of the area where you will find Porthmeor Beach. A scenic beach known for surfing but also expect that there will be a lot of people. I think this is one of the beaches here with a great view of St Nicholas Chapel up on the hill. I didn't know it was a chapel and we were already too far to go back. We didn't have a plan or agenda when we visited here and missed a lot of points of interest.

We only spent a couple of hours at St. Ives but it was a very beautiful experience. Despite the crowd, I will come back as there is something in this seaside town that stays with you. There is a certain charm and a feeling of warm glow that goes with you as you leave. As I look at my photos I feel and almost hear the call of St. Ives. Telling me to come back and stay a little bit longer.

Thank you for joining us on this charming tour of one of the most beautiful places in Cornwall.

Hope to see you again soon as we share more of our adventure.
Cheers.

All photos are original and taken with

Lumix GX85 45mm f1.8 and 12-23 kit lens