Places to visit in St Ives

Thinking about surfing in St Ives? The clear waters and top swells are a great combo for beginners, who can learn the ropes with the St Ives Surf School’s two-hour sessions. Seasoned pros can book a class with a coach, who will help bring out your raddest rides yet. Either way, you won’t find a more exhilarating start to the day.

Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside! And beachfront breakfasts are an essential part of that vibe. At Porthmeor Beach Café,  you can eat al fresco whatever the weather, thanks to the cosy heated booths. Spot dolphins as you tuck into Porthmeor’s impressive breakfast combos or some Cornish saffron toast. The cafe is just under the Tate St Ives, so you’ve not far to go for your next stop.

One of the best St Ives museums, the Tate is a slick, contemporary space where you can enjoy art with Atlantic Ocean views. Like its London sister, it showcases some of the most provocative artwork of our times, with special emphasis, of course, on the rich artistic heritage of the town.

A harbour-facing fixture on the Cornish social scene, The Rum & Crab Shack keeps things simple with a winning combination of, yup, rum and crab. Choose from more than 100 rums to pair with crab-based dishes such as jambalaya and crab-loaded fries with jalapeno sour cream. What more could you want after a surfing session?

Trevose Harbour House has six bright rooms, decked out in coastal shades of blue. Pampering touches include Egyptian cotton bed linen and Neal’s Yard lotions and potions. You’ll love reading by the fire in the snug and the seasonal breakfasts featuring St Mawes’ smoked salmon, Portreath honey, organic milk from Trewithen Farm and organic bread from Helston. Sustainability measures include 90 percent LED lighting and 100 percent green electricity.

Take off your shoes, let the sand get between your toes and enjoy a relaxing mosey along the shoreline. Walk between the piers and dawdle in the wharf, lined with small stores and fish 'n' chip spots for that classic British seaside experience. Look out for greedy gulls!

Seasalt Cornwall is a Cornish fashion company that riffs on the region’s coastal and crafty heritage. New collections inspired by local scenery include Wild & Windy Heaths in rich shades of heather and gorse. You’ll also be charmed by ceramic earrings and organic socks. The website has Instagrammable recipes for moreish dishes such as healthy and warming dhal.

This place is all about loaded ‘dirty’ fries, epic milkshakes and Dirty South Burgers smothered in Cornish Blue – so make sure you’ve worked up an appetite before you settle in. The harbour-front hangout, which works with a heap of local suppliers, also does an excellent range of craft beer – 10 on tap at any one time. Hiccup!

If your visit to the Tate inspired you, get stuck into one of Barnoon Art’s weekly workshops. From informal outdoor sketching sessions on the beach to artist-led tours of the town to dabbling in your own watercolour portraits, you’ll love this creative and community-focused company. Think of it as a way to walk around the beautiful coastal path while being crafty.

Just reading the names of the 30-plus flavours at Moomaid of Zennor will make your mouth water. Will it be scoops of Shipwreck – sea salt ice cream made with milk from Moomaid’s farm, dulce de leche caramel and honeycomb, or Almond & Hazelnut Praline made from salted almond and hazelnut ice cream with a swirl of cocoa? They say people go nuts for this one…