Activities in and around St Ives
There are a wide range of things to do in St Ives and the surrounding area. With a variety of beaches in town or a short walk away, you will be able to sunbathe or, have a swim. For the more energetic of us, learn to surf, stand up paddleboard, kite surf or rent a kayak with the onsite facilities at the beaches. With some of the water sports companies, they also offer coasteering. Boat trips to nearby seal colonies are also a great way to get about on the water.
You will be spoilt for choice of walking opportunities in the area, head out on the Coast Path or inland on any of the numbers of idyllic country paths. The walk to Zennor from St Ives is one of the more popular walks with good reason. The views of the sea and land are astonishing. Along the way there are natural beauty spots and sanctuaries to bird watch, one, in particular, is on the Hayle Estuary, walking to Gwithian from St Ives. Or for the adventurous ones, walk the St Michael's Way from Lelant to St Michael's Mount
There are a variety of guided tours of St Ives, with different themes from art to pirate storytelling.
Want to play Golf? There are plenty of options in West Cornwall, with one on our doorstep in Lelant.
Below are a sample of what the area has to offer.
St Ives Surf School
St Ives Surf School is highly regarded as one of the best places to learn to surf in Cornwall. At St Ives Surf School not only do we run fantastic surf lessons we also provide SUP, Coasteering and sea kayaking activities from our beautiful beach locations in the heart of St Ives. Our aim is to provide an unforgettable ocean experience in a fun, friendly and safe environment.
St Ives Watersports is on Porthminster beach offering hire of kayaks, stand up paddleboarding.
Details
Porthmeor Beach, Porthminster Beach01736 793938
West Cornwall Golf Club
West Cornwall Golf Club is probably one of the finest links courses in Cornwall. It was established in 1889, making it the oldest Golf club in the Duchy.
The course has a magnificent setting and has been moulded around the natural contours of the sand dunes that form part of the Hayle Estuary and Porth Kidney Sands. There are panoramic views from almost every hole with St Ives Bay and Godrevy Lighthouse forming a memorable backdrop to this gem of links.
Details
Church Lane, Lelant01736 753401
Kitesurfing in St Ives Bay
Head here in the winter and late autumn. From July to September, the best part of this beach is off limits: north of the large rock on the beach. Gwithian is part of the large Hayle Sands beach that runs from Godrevy to St. Ives. It’s named after an ancient Celtic princess called Gwythyan and it feels like a mystical sort of place.
St Michael's Mount
Explore the amazing island world of St Michael’s Mount and discover legend, myth and over a thousand years of incredible history.
Stroll across the causeway where a legendary giant once walked. Follow the footsteps of pilgrims. Boat hop to an island where modern life meets layers of history. Discover a medieval castle, a sub-tropical paradise and a close-knit island community. Delve into the history of a fortress, a priory, a harbour and a home.
Details
Marazion01736 710265
St Ives, Cornwall Boat Trips
There are a variety of boat trip companies that depart from the Harbour. They specialise in trips seeing the seals, going over to Godrevy Lighthouse and fishing trips. If you are really lucky you may encounter dolphins on your boat trip!
One, in particular, you could try is Dolly P.
Details
St Ives Harbour
Guided Tours of St Ives
There are a variety of tour guides operating in St Ives. Guided Tours of St Ives, the theme of the tour is either 'Story of St Ives' and the other is 'Art in St Ives.'
Shanty Baba offers a variety of themed tours, lantern ghost walks, pirate walks or a comedy walk around the town.
St Ives, Cornwall Historische Stadtfuehrung offer a German-speaking historical city guide in St Ives, Cornwall with local guides. Discover the history of St Ives, its history in the fishing and mining industries, and how the development of modern British art relates to St Ives. The tours take 75-90 minutes
Details
Various meeting locations depending on tour guideWalks around St Ives
There are a wide selection of walking routes in the area, either on the South West Coast Path or on the inland public footpaths. Below are our suggestions:
The walk to/from Zennor is one of the more popular walks in the area with good reason. The guidebooks do rate this walk however, as 'very challenging.' Do bear in mind that there are no refreshments on this path as you are 'in the middle of no where.' In the winter there are fewers buses running and it is recommended to catch the 16A (First Kernow bus) to Zennor and walk back. In Summer there are more buses running along this route.
The walk on the South West Coast Path to Lelant is also a favourite for many, as you can stop for refreshments on the way or at the end and take the train back to St Ives. Round the corner from Lelant on the coast path is the Hayle Estuary, a great place to bird watch. More information under the 'Nature' section of this website.
St Michael's Way starts by the church in Lelant and walks towards Carbis Bay on the coast path then it goes inland in the direction of St Michael's Mount
Do speak to the team at St Ives Library & Information Service for their advice on walking routes in the area. They can be reached on 01736 796297.
Horseriding near St Ives
Penhalwyn Trekking Centre, School & Livery is on the the back road from St Ives to Penzance and it's basically on Penwith Moors. Depending on your experience level of horse-riding, they take you up for several hours trekking through the moors or for the less experienced they tend to stay on back lanes as rough terrain can be a little frightening.
Cycling around St Ives
St Ives e-bikes offer eBike rental by the day or week, meaning your guests can explore St Ives and the Penwith peninsula without the burn! St Ives e-bikes offer free delivery for multi-day rentals. They also have a shop in town and, as part of our service, will also be offering guided tours.
