Things To Do In And Around St Ives, Cornwall
GOLF COURSES
West Cornwall Golf Course Lelant
Cornwall’s oldest course, overlooking St Ives Bay, is a true links course with numerous natural qualities and fine turf.
Praa Sands Golf Course Praa Sands
Midway between Penzance and Helston and overlooking beautiful Mounts Bay. The sea can be seen from every green on the course.
Cape Cornwall Golf Course St Just
The first and last 18 hole golf course in Britain with spectacular views overlooking the only Cape in England with rugged north Cornwall Coast.
GARDENS
Trengwainton Garden Madron
Following a stream, this intimate woodland garden with its rich collection of rhododendrons, magnolias and camellias leads up to a terrace with splendid views of Mount’s Bay. Walled gardens contain tender species not seen elsewhere on mainland Britain.
Trereife Garden Penzance
Trereife Garden is a 18th century formal and walled gardens being restored with parterres and fountains with a clay pond surrounded by rhododendrons and camellias.
St Michael’s Mount Marazion
The jewel in Cornwall’s crown, this magical island has a church, a medieval castle (home of the St Aubyn family for over 300 years), it is owned and managed by both the National Trust and the St Aubyn family. An exotic garden clinging to the steep flanks, and an ancient harbour where you will find shops, restaurants and an audio-visual presentation on the history of the Mount.
Trewidden Garden Buryas Bridge near Penzance
One of the largest and finest selections of camellias in the country. The chief architect of Trewidden Garden was Thomas Bedford Bolitho who started in 1880 to plant a unique collection of trees and shrubs, thus creating one of the finest informal gardens in south-west England with magnolias rhododendrons and camellias.
Godolphin Godolphin Cross
Discover Godolphin, one of the most fashionable houses in Cornwall in the 17th century. You can soak up the atmosphere of peace and antiquity as you explore this romantic home. Wander around the 16th-century garden, one of the most important historic gardens in Europe. It has barely changed over the years.
Tremenheere Sculpture Garden Gulval
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens is a major new attraction in West Cornwall which opened mid September 2012. In a beautiful sheltered valley, the woods, stream and dramatic vistas provide a perfect setting for large scale exotic and sub-tropical planting. Interwoven with this there is also an evolving programme of high quality contemporary art installations.
VISITOR ATTRACTIONS & LOCAL ACTIVITIES
Paradise Park Hayle
Fourteen acres of sub-tropical gardens with rare and beautiful creatures living in spacious enclosures and home of the World Parrot Trust.
Land’s End Land’s End
Beautiful, exciting, enchanting… enjoy an unforgettable day’s visit to this most famous landmark.
The Minack Theatre Porthcurno
Cornwall’s best known theatre, with a stunning open air location on the cliff tops, near Land’s End. Seventeen weeks of plays and musicals throughout the summer.
St Ives Treasure Trail St Ives
Looking for a interesting and fun way to explore St Ives and Cornwall? Don’t just wander around aimlessly, do a Treasure Trail! Enjoy a fun family walk in the fresh air, exploring the local area, enjoying the beautiful scenery and solve an intriguing mystery at the same time.
Kernow Coasteering St Ives to Penzance and Praa Sands
Are you looking to coasteer near St Ives or Penzance in west Cornwall? Kernow Coasteering is the UK’s most westerly coasteering and rock climbing centre, offering coasteering and climbing around St. Ives and Penzance in west Cornwall and beyond. And as of summer 2015, we are now offering coasteering in the magical Isles of Scilly.
Hall for Cornwall Truro
The largest theatre in Cornwall and a regional performance venue. Throughout the year the theatre offers a packed programme of music, drama and dance with something for visitors of all ages and tastes.
Geevor Tin Mine St Just
With an all-weather visitor centre set in a dramatic stretch of coastline. This preserved mining site, which closed as a working mine in 1990, lets you explore the harsh realities of mining life.
Telegraph Museum Porthcurno Porthcurno
The Telegraph Museum Porthcurno is located in Cornwall’s secret wartime communications centre, under Porthcurno. The tunnels were built in World War II, and historical equipment dating back to the 1870s is housed there.
Vertical Descents St Ives
Adventure activities in St Ives is not normally something you hear but it is one of the best places for some great activities. Vertical Descents offers a full range of activities either in St Ives or Close by. Activities we offer in St Ives are surfing, coasteering, Eco coasteering, power kiting, kite buggying and team building. Vertical Descents offers all of its activities upon request in St Ives so please don’t hesitate to be in touch.
CIRCULAR WALKS AROUND ST. IVES & THE SURROUNDING AREA
St Ives to Lelant Circular Walk – Including Train Ride From St Ives harbour and onwards to Porthminster Beach then follow the coast path to Carbis Bay the route then continues along St Michael’s Way. From Carrack Gladden at low tide it’s possible to walk across Porth Kidney Sands (or the dunes at high tide) to reach Lelant. Pasting St Uny’s church continue along the road till you reach Lelant Saltings Station, a journey on the train back to St Ives makes the route circular.
Lelant Saltings to Carbis Bay Circular Walk This circular walk follows St Michael’s Way from Lelant past St Uny’s church to the dunes. At low tide it is possible to walk across Porth Kidney Sands (or the dunes at high tide) to reach Carrack Gladden. The route continues along St Michael’s Way to Carbis Bay. From Carbis Bay, the route crosses the railway and then follows footpaths parallel to the railway back to the West Cornwall Golf Course. Footpaths and small lanes complete the circular route.
St Ives to Carn Naun Circular Walk The walk heads out through the Ayr district of St Ives to the Zennor Churchway and follows footpaths across the fields to Trevalgan. Here, the route picks up an old miners’ path and follows this to remains of the Brea Consols mine and then meets the coast near Carn Naun point. The route then follows the Coast Path to Hor Point, where it departs onto a footpath around the end of the point before rejoining the Coast Path to Porthmeor beach.
St Ives Circular Walk The route descends from Trenwith car park along Park Terrace with views over the rooftops of St Ives before reaching sea level. The walk then circles around the harbour to Smeaton’s Pier and onto Porth Gwidden. The route crosses the Island, via the chapel, to Porth Meor where it passes the Tate and joins the coastal path. After following the coastal past Carrack Du, the return route to St Ives is via farm tracks and the Church of St John.
Hayle Valley from St Erth Circular Walk This moderate circular walk starts from the car park opposite Saint Erth Parish Church and follows the riverbank of the River Hayle to Trennack Mill. From here, the route follows a lane to Porthcollum then farm tracks and footpaths across fields and through woods to Tremeling Farm. The route follows a footpath across the fields to Tremeling cottage then joins the Green Lane which forms the return route to the church.
St Ives to Zennor Circular Walk This is a popular walk from St Ives to Zennor along the South West Coast Path. Most of the path is pretty good but there is some climbing and scrambling required on some sections of the path. There’s wonderful coastal scenery with dramatic cliffs rising hundreds of feet above the sea, beautiful beaches and delightful coves.
St Ives to Carbis Bay Circular Walk This circular walk begins at Trenwith car park in St Ives and climbs through the Steeple Woods nature reserve to “The Steeple” and descends through Trelyon Downs before following the Carbis Valley to the beach. The walk then follows the coastal path from Carbis Bay to Porthminster Beach and onwards to St Ives, returning via St Ives harbour and church.
GUIDED TOURS & WALKING THE CELTIC COAST FROM MOUSEHOLE TO ST. IVES
Adventureline West Penwith & Europe
Guided walking and exploration holidays in Cornwall. Picture yourself hiking this spectacular coastline… walking through carpets of myriad wild flowers… intimately observing the seals below and the birds above… maybe even stopping for a delightful swim? We have been exploring the best of West Cornwall on foot for over 30 years. European walking tours too.
Lantern Ghost Storywalk St Ives
As an eerie darkness falls over St Ives, come with the acclaimed storyteller, Shanty Baba, as he lights his hurricane lantern, to show you “the darker side of St Ives”. Come to see the most haunted places in the town, the spooky alleyways where the dead are restless, the graveyards where paranormal and supernatural activity is still witnessed, and the houses where murders occurred.
The Discerning Traveller – Hiking Cornwall Lands End to St Ives
A 5 day walking tour from Land’s End to St. Ives through Bronze Age fields, by undersea tin mines and Cornish villages built with granite. We have a tour based around King Arthur’s Tintagel and Padstow, plus another of Daphne du Maurier’s world around Fowey.
Western Discoveries Walking Holidays South West Coast Paths
We offer you the best of Cornwall. Whether you want a well planned walking holiday on the stunning Southwest coast path, a hike on the moors or a guided tour of West Cornwalls ancient monuments we can help. From two hour walks to fully inclusive holidays, we have an option to suit you. We also offer hassle free camping on our walking holidays.
BOAT TRIPS
St Ives Boat Trips St Ives
Sea Safari Adventure Tour – 2 hour 15 minutes. We leave St Ives harbour on the motor launch Tiger Lilly to explore the beautiful Cornish Coast and open seas, on our safari we will see beautiful golden sandy beaches, stunning coves, dramatic rock formations and breath taking cliffs. Seeing a mixed array of wildlife in their natural habitat.
St Ives 1899 Lifeboat Trips St Ives
JAMES STEVENS No.10 is the former St.Ives lifeboat that was owned and operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, she is the original 121 year old rowing and sailing lifeboat built in 1899 that was stationed at St.Ives. This historic lifeboat has just undergone a two and a half year restoration and is now back to her former glory. She now offers gentle and serene boat trips around St.Ives Bay as well as educational trips. Learn about the history of this lifeboat, shipwrecks and the heroic rescues that were performed by her crew relying on their sails, rowing skill and muscles until 1933.
St Ives Boat Rides St Ives
We are a family run business operating from St Ives Harbour running self drive motor boats, St Ives to Carbis Bay and return water taxi, fast rib rides, kayak hire, Godrevy Lighthouse and Hells Mouth tours as well as trips to Seal Island, and Hayle to St Ives ferry plus much more.
St Ives Boats St Ives
St Ives Boats offer daily boat trips leaving from St Ives harbour, when seal watching along the magnificent Cornish coast at Seal Island or across the bay at the famous Godrevy lighthouse we explore one of the UK’s most stunning areas.
Booking Online is available via our website!
We are the only accredited wildlife safe operator (WISe Scheme) in St Ives Bay..
SAILING ACTIVITIES AND SAILING HOLIDAYS IN WEST CORNWALL
Mylor Sailing School Mylor, nr Falmouth
With our range of beginner, intermediate and advanced RYA sailing courses and tuition, combined with our ideal location, you will find sailing at Mylor Sailing School a great experience. Dinghy and small keelboat two-day courses, National Powerboat Scheme courses and Swallows & Amazons kids club.