From Wikitravel

St Ives is a small seaside town in the English county of Cornwall, north of Penzance and west of Camborne.

[edit] Understand

[edit] Get in

Trains from London Paddington to Penzance normally stop at St Erth one stop before Penzance. From St Erth take the St Ives branch line train (they normally connect with London trains), a bus or a taxi.

[edit] Get around

Trying to drive through the narrow streets of St Ives is a bit of a nightmare; go on foot like everyone else.

There are numerous car parks in St Ives (£3-5 for the day), but the ones closest the town fill up quick in summer during the day. There is a large car park at the top of the town next to the leisure centre, a 10 minute walk from the harbour. It normally has spaces on all but the busiest days. There is also a Park and Ride Scheme, you park at one of the station on the St Ives branch line (e.g. Lelant, Lelant Saltings, etc) and get the train in to the town. Follow the signs.

[edit][add listing] See

• Tate St Ives [1], Porthmeor Beach, open March-October Mo-Su 10am- 5.30pm, November-February Tu-Su 10am-4.30pm, tel 01736 796226 (occasionally closed for re-hangings - telephone ahead to check status) - a far-flung outpost of the Tate Gallery, a long way from the better-known Tates Britain and Modern in London - a refreshing collection of international modern art.

St Ives is a lovely Cornish fishing village that has grown into a town. In the centre are quaint fishing cottages, small alleys, craft and gift shops - often original, especially the paintings due to the influx earlier this century of artists from around Europe.

The northern light allied to the beautiful sea has been an inspiration to artists and sculptors such as Alfred Wallis, Sir Terry Frost and Dame Barbara Hepworth. This lead to The Tate building a gallery specialising in Cornish Art. The building itself is notable, and is round in shape - mirroring the gas works which previously sat on the site. You can buy a joint ticket for the Tate and the Hepworth studio.

The town beach facing north west sometimes has some good waves for us surfers (although again parking even to drop off the sticks can be sadly problematic); it is a lovely family beach too. There is a caravan/ camping /motor home site on the western fringes of the town (easy walking in AND lovely views too).

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

There are loads of pasty shops, but always avoid the steak and stilton pasties; they may appear nice, but as only cultured people eat them they often spend a couple of months on sale and can upset the gut.

Blas Burgerworks (The Warren) is a cosy restaurant serving a tasty selection of gourmet burgers for meateaters and vegetarians alike. With friendly, straightfoward service and solid locally sourced produce credentials, Blas is a thoroughly modern sort of restaurant, perfect for a quick but wholesome evening meal - and continuing to serve food until later than many St Ives establishments too.

The Bean Inn (Carbis Bay, on the outskirts of St Ives) is a simple, honest vegetarian restaurant serving above average veggie fare. A nice option for a veggie Sunday roast.

The Ocean Grill The Wharf. Best food in St Ives. Only a small place, and looks a bit like a fish and chip/pasty joint from the outside. But the food is formidable. Don't miss their breakfasts. The kippers are to die for!

[edit][add listing] Drink

Usual selection of traditional pubs and (more recently) wine bars. Theres also a small night club open till 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Lots of B&Bs - call the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) on 01736 796297 to find out which ones are available.
• Tregena Castle Hotel - Large smart hotel in large grounds on the hill above the town. Expensive, lots of people go there to get married!
• Coast is an unimaginatively named but reasonably priced, friendly and totally vegetarian B&B in Carbis Bay a couple of miles in the outskirts of St Ives. Rooms are small but clean and modern, and the welcome could not be more warm. The town itself is accessible by a scenic coastal walk.
• St. Ives backpackers - decent friendly youth hostel, but you have to pay 20p to use the showers! It has a bar which opens in the summer.

[edit] Get out

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!