9 Best Things To Do In St Ives, England - Updated 2024

best things to do in st ives uk
Hiren
Hiren 
Updated
| 3 min read

Welcome to one of the most spectacular coastal cities in the UK! St. Ives will take your breath away when you see the ample shorelines of the city. There is, of course, plenty to do while you are away from the waters as well, so in this list, we will talk about both types of activities.

Read on to find out about the top 9 things to do in St Ives, UK.

1. Watch the Godrevy Lighthouse from Porthminster Beach

In this age of radar and advanced navigation technologies, it is rare for people to come across a lighthouse. However, when you visit Porthminster Beach, you get to see a brilliant view of the Godrevy Lighthouse. This place sees very high footfall.

It is a family-friendly beach. So it can often be difficult to find parking space. There is also a café close by.

Porthminster Beach

Address: St Ives, England

Website: Porthminster Beach

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2. See amazing works of art at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

39240588 Barbara H. 1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user [Unknown] used under CC BY 2.0

Lovely gardens await your presence at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. In terms of space, the museum, as well as the gardens, are a bit small, so you can explore this in a short period of time. However, at the same time, it is easy to get lost in creativity while seeing the sculptures arranged beautifully in the garden. The sculptures are all very well preserved and the museum does a good job of describing the life of Barbara Hepworth.

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Address: Barnoon Hill, TR26 1AD St. Ives, England

Website: Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

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3. Shop by the beach at St. Ives Harbour Beach

There are very few locations in the world where you have shops within a stone’s throw of the shores of a beach. St. Ives Harbour Beach is one of them. It is a pretty large beach and a very beautiful one too, so you can spend lots of time wandering here.

The sand is white and clean. Be cautious about seagulls, there are plenty of them here. Also, the tides can get a bit extreme.

St. Ives Harbour Beach

Address: TR26 1LG St. Ives, England

Website: St Ives Harbour Beach

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4. Go for a hike across the Cornwall Coast Path

Land's End (Cornwall, UK), Coast Path -- 2013 -- 1064
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Dietmar Rabich used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Many describe walking across the Cornwall Coast Path to be a tough walk. Some describe it as well worth the effort. In any case, it is a lovely walk indeed. There are tall drops dotting the landscape, which add to the beauty of the place.

Various approach routes exist. Some are harder than the others. However, ultimately you will be treated to beautiful views. The long distances involved may make it tiring for kids and senior citizens.

Cornwall Coast Path

Address: Coast St. Ives Road | St Just, TR26 2RT St. Ives, England

Website: Cornwall Coast Path

Tip from Content Creator

Cornwall Coast Path Cornwall Coast Path Cornwall Coast Path Cornwall Coast Path Cornwall Coast Path

Photos of Cornwall Coast Path shared by content creator from the United States, Loz Piper.

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5. Watch kids perform their best at Kidz R Us

Listen to Sister Mary Robert belt those high notes. 1 WEEK TODAY!! What are you waiting for, book those tickets... www.kidzrus.net

Posted by Kidz R Us, St Ives on Monday, 17 July 2017

Kidz R Us is a theater focusing on developing the artist in children who are 7 years and older. Although in terms of age, they may be quite young, do not expect anything less than a stellar performance from them, because you won’t be disappointed. The theater has very high standards of professional excellence and has won many awards. Even the production team puts in a lot of effort behind the scenes, although the theater is a not-for-profit organization. If you are watching the Aladdin show, you can actually see a flying carpet!

Kidz R Us

Address: Lower Stennack | St. Ives Theatre, TR26 1QG St. Ives, England

Website: Kidz R Us

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6. Capture scenic memories at St. Ives Bay

St Ives Bay 05
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Gloworm 44 used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

A large number of people visiting St Ives Bay itself is a testimony to the popularity of this extremely beautiful shoreline. There is some steep downhill trekking to do once you get down from the car park. However, once you get to the bottom, there is plenty to do. Shops, restaurants, and pubs can be easily found here.

St. Ives Bay

Address: St. Ives, England

Website: St Ives Bay

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7. Watch seals and cliffs at the South West Coast Path - Godrevy Head

Morwenstow Church Tower
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ian Griffiths used under CC BY 2.0

The South West Coast Path - Godrevy Head is a very short walk that can be completed in less than half an hour. Depending on the season of your visit, you may get to see exciting flora and fauna. So make sure you are carrying a pair of binoculars as well as a camera with you. Children will find the beach here to be very attractive. There is a café nearby.

South West Coast Path - Godrevy Head

Address: Godrevy Head Car Park, TR27 5ED St. Ives, England

Website: South West Coast Path - Godrevy Head

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8. View exhibitions at Tate Gallery St. Ives

Tate Gallery St. Ives is a relatively small gallery containing few exhibits. It is even smaller than the Barbara Hepworth museum described above. However, they periodically change the displays and also hold regular exhibitions. In addition, the views that you get from the top floor are brilliant.

Tate Gallery St. Ives

Address: Porthmeor Beach | Porthmeor Beach, TR26 1TG St. Ives, England

Website: Tate Gallery St. Ives

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9. Take a trip to Helston to visit the Flambards Theme Park

Helston : The Flambards Experience
Source: Photo by Geograph user Lewis Clarke used under CC BY-SA 2.0

The Flambards Theme Park has seen many new rides and attractions being added to it over the last few years. It is a good amusement park where you can spend an entire day. There is even a museum present inside the park. However, in terms of size, it is not a very large park. There are activities for all ages and the staff is friendly.

Flambards Theme Park

Address: Clodgey Lane, TR13 0QA Helston, England

Website: Flambards Theme Park

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Seas, beaches and cliffs: Discover more about southwest England

It is rare to come across cities having more than a dozen beaches and nature trails but that is what St.Ives is. The waters of the Atlantic create beautiful waves in many places. There are also islands to explore. For the more adventurous, you can take part in sports such as surfing, windsurfing, and even kitesurfing. Come play with the water in St. Ives!

Tip from Content Creator

Looking for even more to do in St Ives other than surfing? Check out my favourite things to see, eat and drink when visiting St Ives:

SEE

~ Porthgwidden Beach dotted with colourful fishing boats

~ Climb up to the Chapel of St Nicholas and watch the surfers

EAT

~ The Yellow Canary café for delicious crab sandwiches

~ St Ives Bakery for freshly baked scones

DRINK

~ Incredible coffee at mount zion coffee

~ Cocktails with a sea view at The Loft Restaurant St Ives

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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