Edited by Chris Leather, Wednesday, 25 Jan 2012, 16:08
Another little travel guide for you. This time one of my favourite, and closest seaside towns.
St Ives is possibly the most archetypal of all the Cornish fishing towns and villages. A clutch of higgledy-piggedly whitewashed cottages and cobbled lanes radiate out from the harbour where small fishing boats bob around in the turquoise water.
Situated on its own peninsula (or isthmus if you prefer) St Ives is virtually surrounded by beaches. To the north facing into the Atlantic Ocean is Porthmeor, which translated means 'big beach'. Here you can take on the surf, eat great food and visit the St Ives Tate gallery all in the same day. Porthminster is St Ives' other main beach and again there is great food to be had at the beach cafe. However, Porthminster is more sheltered from both the sea and the wind so has a much more genteel feel to it.
My preferred pastime in St Ives is to wander the maze of tiny streets and alleyways that make up the Downlong district of the town. If you can get over the wheelie bins outside every cottage this really does feel like a trip into the past. These days though you are unlikely to find a barrel of pilchards in the basement and chances are it is a holiday rental - the owners will have moved somewhere more salubrious where space isn't at such a premium and you can park a car. Another great thing about the Downlong is the street names; there is a Teetotal Street, a Virgin Street, a Salubrious Place and of course a Fish Street.
If you are considering a visit to St Ives then you would do well to avoid the holiday season where mcuh of the town's charm is obliterated by a relentless horde of holidaymakers marching from gallery to giftshop armed with icecreams in hand!
St Ives Cornwall
Another little travel guide for you. This time one of my favourite, and closest seaside towns.
St Ives is possibly the most archetypal of all the Cornish fishing towns and villages. A clutch of higgledy-piggedly whitewashed cottages and cobbled lanes radiate out from the harbour where small fishing boats bob around in the turquoise water.
Situated on its own peninsula (or isthmus if you prefer) St Ives is virtually surrounded by beaches. To the north facing into the Atlantic Ocean is Porthmeor, which translated means 'big beach'. Here you can take on the surf, eat great food and visit the St Ives Tate gallery all in the same day. Porthminster is St Ives' other main beach and again there is great food to be had at the beach cafe. However, Porthminster is more sheltered from both the sea and the wind so has a much more genteel feel to it.
My preferred pastime in St Ives is to wander the maze of tiny streets and alleyways that make up the Downlong district of the town. If you can get over the wheelie bins outside every cottage this really does feel like a trip into the past. These days though you are unlikely to find a barrel of pilchards in the basement and chances are it is a holiday rental - the owners will have moved somewhere more salubrious where space isn't at such a premium and you can park a car.
Another great thing about the Downlong is the street names; there is a Teetotal Street, a Virgin Street, a Salubrious Place and of course a Fish Street.
If you are considering a visit to St Ives then you would do well to avoid the holiday season where mcuh of the town's charm is obliterated by a relentless horde of holidaymakers marching from gallery to giftshop armed with icecreams in hand!