St Ives Beaches, where sand meets sea

St.Ives is the idyllic hotspot on the Lands End Peninsula and is famous for its glorious sandy beaches. We’ve curated a list of the top St Ives Beaches to dip your toes in, make sandcastles and soak up rays.

St Ives beaches, a warmer than average climate and rolling waves draw people from around the world all year, every year. The main bay is a shallow crescent moon shape, 4 miles across, and is situated on the Atlantic coastline of northwest Cornwall.

A great way to take in this breath-taking view is to board the train at St Erth (the penultimate stop on the Paddington to Penzance mainline), it presents a sweeping vista as you pull into the St.Ives station. There are a number of beaches to choose from in this area so if you’re on holiday, explore and see how many you can experience. Even staying close to the beach with a sea view property!

St Ives Beaches: Harbour Beach

Harbour Beach is located as the name implies in the working harbour of St Ives. It’s a sandy beach with the shimmering sea at its front and behind is home to the shops, galleries, cafes, amusement arcades, and everything that you would associate with an iconic seaside town. There is always lots going on here and there’s nothing better than sitting on one of the benches and looking out to the boats bobbing in the water. Take it all in, Cornish ice cream in hand just beware of the seagulls, they are partial to both pasties and ice cream. There is a seasonal dog ban here and no lifeguard cover.

St Ives Beaches: Porthmeor Beach

Porthmeor Beach sits under the iconic Tate St Ives, it’s a golden sandy beach and very popular with families, it’s a Blue Flag beach and has lots of facilities including a café, surf school and lifeguards on duty at peak holiday times. There is a seasonal dog ban here.

St Ives Beaches: Lambeth Walk Beach

Lambeth Walk Beach is dog friendly all year round. At high tide, it’s not accessible but at low tide, you can walk across to nearby Porthminster Beach. This beach is sandy and rocky and located behind the Church of St Ia, on the northern side is the RNLI lifeboat station. No lifeguard cover.

St Ives Beaches: Porthminster Beach

Porthminster Beach is a large sheltered sandy beach, making it especially good for families, and located next to the St Ives train station; there is a car park, too, although in the busy season this will fill pretty quickly. It’s a Blue Flag beach with good facilities and lifeguard cover from May 19th to the end of September. There is a seasonal dog ban.

St Ives Beaches: Bamaluz Beach

St. Ives, UK – June 10, 2015: A man and his dog on Bamaluz beach, St. Ives, Cornwall on a bright June Summers day. This beach is the only one that permits dogs all day during the summer season.

Bamaluz Beach from here you can see the remains of the Wheal Dream tin mine. It’s a quiet, sandy beach located between the harbour and Porthgwidden Beach. Due to the high walls there, the sun may be blocked and at high tide, the beach is reduced. However, it’s dog friendly all year round and often overlooked by visitors. St Ives Museum is nearby.

St Ives Beaches: Porthgwidden Beach

Porthgwidden Beach is smaller than some of the other beaches, in its favour it is quite sheltered and a good place to enjoy the sun. It’s a sandy beach with a quality café nearby, there is no lifeguard on duty and there is a seasonal dog ban.

These St Ives beaches are just a few that this glorious coastline has to offer. Get out and explore, most can be accessed as long as you take care to note the times of high tide and adhere to the safety advice given, you can check for advice on https://rnli.og.

Are you in need of wonderful accommodation to return home after a long day in Cornwall? At Carbis Bay Holidays, we have everything you need and more! We offer a range of accommodation to suit our customer’s specific needs. Check out our full listings on our site, or get in touch if you have any questions. We’re happy to help!