St Ives Harbour

St Ives Harbour
A beautiful day in St Ives

Thursday 28 May 2015

Looking for reasons to visit St Ives this June…


June is the month where St Ives bursts back in to life, the quayside is full of shops selling brightly coloured bucket and spades and the harbour is alive with the bustle of people and the smells of St Ives’ different award winning restaurants flood the streets, whilst the boats bob serenely in the water, with the occasional interruption from the quayside sellers offering ‘adventures at sea’ at the top of their lungs.

Shouldering Summer months can be when St Ives can be viewed at its best, with the weather being favourable and the beaches outside of the Summer holidays being that much quieter, giving you the opportunity to really unwind and enjoy the town for what it is made for… relaxing.


The cobbled streets, vast beaches, local boutique shops and restaurants bring everything you could possibly need to one destination ready for discovering. This by far has always been one of the most noticeable reflections by our guests; that St Ives has everything you could need when looking for reasons to visit St Ives for either a long or short stay, especially with its abundance of entertainment and places to explore.


Within the Sail Lofts we offer our own suggestions via our ‘Whats on board’ which has become more often known as the ‘Wazzon board’ in true Cornish style. The board details everything from Yoga Sessions on Monday mornings at the Guildhall, open to all, to belly dancing at the Operatic Rooms, giving St Ives visitors a chance to broaden their experiences and take on a new hobby before heading off back home.


Not forgetting our in house Spa studio offering all a welcome chance of relaxation, our recommendations would be for the Sail Lofts Ocean Spa Sensation and relax in a warm cleansing facial mist as the back of your body is scrubbed and swept, ready for the luxury stress releasing massage using Thai herbal compresses. A head, neck and facial massage completes this treatment, using hot and cold stones, combined with anti-aging facial techniques, to leave you feeling indulged, pampered and rejuvenated all for the amazing price of £55 for an hour long treatment. Or why not try the Absolute Spa Ritual and choose from one of the unique Elemis Facials and combine it with the powerful effects of a Deep Tissue Massage. Two hours of pure relaxation with dramatic results…


We love hearing back from our guests on suggestions and ideas along with the things that they get up to whilst they are here enjoying St Ives, so why not get in touch and let us know your favourite locations whilst spending time on holiday in St Ives…

Monday 18 May 2015

Days out and about around St Ives Bay...


We all know that St Ives has plenty of amazing things to do and see, but there are also many things in the local area worth checking out whilst self catering in St Ives... 

Godrevy

Looking out from St Ives Harbour casting your gaze along the coastline you will spot the distinctive shape of Godrevy’s lighthouse. Godrevy consists of a beautiful sand dune beach, plenty of rock pools and an awe inspiring coastal walk along North Cliffs where you can catch glimpses of the local seals sunbathing on hidden coves along with an amazing café serving some of the best cooked breakfasts imaginable, we recommend sitting out on the top deck and taking in the views.


Godrevy is only a 15-minute drive from St Ives and is worth a visit and is amongst one of our favourite local spots for lazy afternoon strolls.

Trevaskis Farm

We love Trevaskis Farm, just outside of Hayle and only a 15-minute hop from St Ives. Boasting pick your own fresh fruit and veg, farm park, market shop and deli, not forgetting an amazing family friendly restaurant. 


Trevaskis is a day out at its best in Cornwall, giving a great idea of working life on a farm. Great for all ages to experience, we especially enjoy strawberry picking afternoons topped off by a cream tea in the restaurant. 

Paradise Park

After recently spending a whole day entertaining my niece at Paradise Park, I cannot recommend it enough for a truly enchanting day out. We visited on a slightly overcast Spring day, with high chances of rain which didn’t dampen our spirits as we wandered around the beautiful gardens and visited spectacular species of birds from around the globe. With plenty to see and do, we spent a whole afternoon walking around the grounds, and being enthralled by the live displays including ‘Flight of the Rainbows’ where visitors can feed nectar to parrots.


Our highlight were the flamingos, free roaming around the central area all twinned with beautiful horticulture, a sight I will not forget in a hurry.


These are just a few of our recommendations whilst self-catering in St Ives for perfect days out about around St Ives Bay...

Katy x 

Wednesday 13 May 2015

St Ives Survival Guide...


We all know that self-catering family holidays in St Ives and trips away from home can be stressful. What with trying to remember all that you will need for your time away, working out what the weather might be like and then regardless packing for all seasons just in case the British weather does not live up to expectation. So here at the Sail Lofts we thought it best to combine our years of experience in making your self-catering St Ives holiday the one to remember for all the right reasons…


1. Travel
DO NOT RELY ON MISTER SATNAV. St Ives turns out to be one of the least SatNav friendly locations on the planet, likened to tributaries of the Amazon River with numerous dead ends and one-way systems along with amused locals guffawing at your best attempts. Read your Welcome Pack, we cannot stress this enough. Your easiest route into St Ives whether by plane, train or automobile is by reading the carefully honed travel directions that you will find in your welcome pack, detailing down to the arrival at the very door of your self catering accommodation.

 

2. Sunscreen
Wear sunscreen, this is in no reference to the 1999 Baz Luhrmann song, however all his reasons are also valid, but we recommend sunscreen for making sure no peeling noses or sore shoulders occur during your visit to St Ives, even on the most overcast of days it is still possible to catch the sun, especially whilst you are out enjoying St Ives' numerous coastal walks, beaches and streets.



3. Food
Get it delivered, being in one of Cornwall’s most westerly towns food shopping can be tricky, especially if you are used to a certain type of pate or gluten free bread. In St Ives there are the smaller generic and well know convenience shops, however if there are products that you consider necessities make sure to make the most of The Sail Lofts concierge service and use your regular supermarket to deliver your food shopping prior to arrival with us. Should you wish to try something new we recommend the Cornish Food Market for anyone looking for sampling the local delicacies along with their standard weekly shop.


These are just our top 3 recommendations for having a hassle free self catering holiday in St Ives… however should you ever have any queries for further recommendations why not make use of our concierge services and give us a call on 01736 799175, or email info@thesaillofts.co.uk

Katy x

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Looking for a reason to visit St Ives this May...


For any serious food and drink connoisseur the St Ives Food and Drink Festival kicks off for its sixth year on Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th May. So there has never been a better time to head to St Ives and spend a luxurious weekend in one of our 5* luxury self-catering properties whilst spending time gorging on the tantalising delights that St Ives has to offer. 

The Festival takes place on the iconic Porthminster beach with its white sand and turquoise sea, boasting one of the UKs most stunning coastlines and promoting all that is great about the region’s natural produce.


Produce is diverse from cheese and artisan breads to the finest chocolatiers, not forgetting freshly landed fish including mackerel, bass, Dover sole, bream, herring, crab and lobster. There is then the multitude of county ciders, real ale and craft beers from the local independent microbreweries spread across the region. 
As the St Ives Food and Drink festival suggests ‘If you want to experience some of the best food and drink that this county has to offer then a visit to the St Ives Food and Drink Festival is an opportunity not to be missed.  Paradise never tasted so good…’
All of this wonderful produce is showcased during the festival and much of it supplying the local eateries, which are not to be missed during a visit to St Ives. We highly recommend that no visit to St Ives is complete without a lunch or evening soiree at the Porthminster Beach Café, just make sure to make a table reservation up to a week in advance to avoid disappointment.

We have 3 properties available over the Food and Drink Festival weekend; with opportunity to stay either a short break (Fri – Mon) or why not indulge in a 7-night stay, making the most of what St Ives has to offer:

Self-catering apartment Beach, St Ives

Beach: Three bedrooms, two en-suites and a family bathroom along with wonderful spacious open plan living, make this a fine example of our luxury accommodation in St Ives.



Self-catering St Ives apartment Ocean

Ocean: Three floors of contemporary 5 star accommodation in St Ives with three double bedrooms and two bathrooms; topped by a relaxed living area with stunning sea views and a spacious kitchen-diner.


self-catering apartment Slipway, St Ives

Slipway: Exquisite 5 star luxury accommodation in St Ives. With 3 en-suite bedrooms and a large kitchen-diner, Slipways piece de resistance is a large sunny sitting room complete with its own private balcony overlooking Porthmeor Beach. A private car parking space in our onsite garage is also included.