St Ives in Winter…

St Ives is one of Cornwall’s few coastal fishing towns that is open all year round, with a wide variety of festivals spanning all seasons, acting as a hub to a thriving coastal community. This can sometimes become disguised during the core of the summer months, as the town becomes full of brightly coloured buckets and spades…

Once the summer subsides the St Ives community springs back in to life, whilst in contrast the beaches empty out, and come October beaches are yours for the taking, with the vast open spaces ready for you to discover, without hazard of treading on someone else’s carefully honed sand castle.

Cornwall has always been renowned for its mild winters, with crisp blue skies and long stretching horizons. Perfect for meandering coastal walks, pub lunches, and afternoon cream teas. With our luxury apartments in St Ives creating the ideal space for relaxing and recuperating after days out in the fresh Cornish air.

Out of season you will also find that the roads are much quieter than in the summer months, giving you plenty of chances to venture to Cornwall’s beauty spots, unhindered by the usual summer tail backs. 

Should you be looking for dog friendly holiday in St Ives, look no further as the Sail Lofts has three dog friendly apartments, all just a stones throw from ideal walking, running and ball chasing hotspots; including from October 1^st Porthmeor Beach, an expansive stretch of golden sand, that sits across the road from the apartments.

If you are looking for retail therapy, again you shall find all the shops in St Ives open and ready for business albeit in October much quieter, perfect for pursuing. The high street is bursting full of the likes of Seasalt, Crewe and Fat Face along with St Ives beautifully unique boutique shops and galleries.

The majority of restaurants you shall also find still open, and with much higher likelihood of getting the best seats in some of St Ives top eateries, which is reason enough to come out of season and enjoy St Ives.

Should you be interested in booking a stay in a luxury apartment in St Ives, or in finding out more about what St Ives has to offer in the winter months, please get in touch with us on 01736 799175. We are on hand to help, and to make recommendations on what to see and do whilst here in St Ives.

Katy x

Check availability in October...

Check availability in November...

What’s on: St Ives Beer & Cider Festival...

There’s nothing better than a cold bottle of cider to finish of a great day holidaying in our luxury apartments. People have been enjoying cider in Britain since before the Norman Conquest, largely due to the English climate being more suitable for growing apples, than it is for growing grapes. By the 1300’s its popularity had grown so immensely that there are records of it being produced all over the country and by the 18^th Century it was customary to pay part of a farm workers wage in cider. 

  

With so many fantastic local producers down in the West Country we love our proper good scrumpy, that’s cider if you didn’t know. Scrumpy is locally made cider using traditional methods. It has a distinctively cloudy appearance, and is often much stronger than commercial ciders, so pace yourself. It’s not the mass produced bottles you find in most supermarkets.

Why not get a taste for the local tipple and head to the St Ives Beer and Cider Festival? Running for the second year in a row with over 1,500 people through the doors last year, this is an event not to be missed. Conveniently located in St Ives’s Guildhall the festival is within walking distance from our luxury self catering accommodation, perfect if you want to enjoy a few cheeky drinks. With over 60 real ales, as well a proper Cornish ciders, perries and fruit wines there’s something for everyone. There is also live entertainment, local bands and delicious local hot and cold food to line your stomach.

The event runs from the 21^st – 23^rd of August. The grand opening takes place on the Friday at 5pm and closes at midnight. During the weekend the festival is open from noon till midnight, with children welcome until 8pm. Admission is only £5 for the day or you can get a weekend pass for £8. Both tickets include a souvenir glass to commemorate the event and can be bought on the door. If you need directions just ask, don’t be shy. It’s only a short walk from our holiday cottages, you never know you might even see us there! 

Onna x 

A Guide to St Ives Beaches: Part 2

If you caught up with us last week, you will have seen part one of our guide to St Ives beaches and today we’re back with part two. We think St Ives has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, yes we may be a little biased but wait until you see them. What better way to make the most of your self catering holiday than to explore our beautiful Cornish beaches?

Gwithian

About thirty minutes drive from our holiday cottages you will find the beautiful and expansive Gwithian. It offers everything a family could want with The Sunset Surf beachside café and bar overlooking the beach, great surf conditions and plenty of small coves and rock pools for the kids to enjoy.

Awards: Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

Lifeguard Service: Cover from 5th May to 30th September and weekends during October.

Parking: Parking at Gwithian Towans

Dogs: Seasonal dog ban from Easter to 1st October.

Toilets: Yes

Carbis Bay

Sheltered by the large tree covered cliffs, Carbis Bay is only is only a ten minute drive from our luxury accommodation making it the perfect family friendly beach. You can even arrive by foot following the beautiful cliff walk that leads straight to the beach. The lack of surf means it’s not ideal for those looking to catch a wave, but the turquoise waters are perfect for swimmers and young families.

Awards: Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence

Lifeguard Service: Cover from 7th July to 2nd September.

Parking: Parking at train station.

Dogs: Dogs are permitted from 5a.m.- 8 a.m during summer. Allowed at any time from October 1^st – Easter Day.

Toilets: Yes

Porthkidney

The vastness of Porthkidney, particularly when the tide is out, makes this beach the perfect option if you want the space to kick a ball about. The sheer size of this beach means you don’t need to worry about overcrowding. It’s also one of the few beaches that allows dogs all year round so if you’ve brought man’s best friend with you it’s a great way to still enjoy some sand between your toes. The only down side is there is no facilities.

PLEASE REMEMBER: The river is not suitable for swimming as the riptides at this end of the beach can be dangerous.

Awards: Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

Lifeguard Service: Daily cover from the 7th July to 2th September.

Parking: Very Limited parking at Lelant Church.

Dogs: Dogs allowed all year round.

Toilets: No

That’s a wrap on our guide to St Ives beaches. We hope you enjoy exploring these Cornish gems and much as we do. We’re here to help make your self catering holiday the best it can be, please don’t hesitate to ask if you need any advice on which beach is right for you! 

Onna x 

Fuel for the day...

Early mornings have never been my thing but thanks to the arrival of our beautiful baby girl I have a newfound appreciation of early starts and I’ve fallen in love with St Ives all over again.

Now, don’t get me wrong a lie in would be nice from time to time but I’ve decided to embrace the dark circles, get out nice and early and sample what St Ives’ breakfast menu’s have to offer.

Porthminster Beach Café

Topping my list has to be this beautiful little beach café that you usually have to book weeks in advance. At sunrise however it’s a different story. We arrived at 9.30am on a Saturday morning and had our choice of tables and it really was perfect in every way – the weather, the view, the food and the sleeping baby! I plumped for the free-range poached eggs with a cheeky side order of local sausage and bacon and it was divine. The other half of course went for the full fry-up and without even a smidge of brown sauce left on the plate I’d say it was a winner. Washed down with locally sourced apple juice and freshly squeezed orange juice, it really couldn’t have been better.

Porthmeor Beach Café

Continuing the beach theme (well we are in Cornwall!) we headed to Porthmeor Beach Café. This is somewhere I’ve always wanted to eat but until now simply haven’t gotten around to and breakfast seemed a great place to start. It did not disappoint. Being a sucker for granola, yoghurt and compote I couldn’t resist this when I saw it on the menu and I must say it was one of the best. Hubby built his own brekkie and ordered most items on the menu despite my encouragement to try something a bit different. Again we managed to dine alfresco and the view really is one of my favourites in St Ives and despite the baby being far from asleep she was impeccably behaved and charmed the other diners with her cuteness.

Hub, St Ives

Being massive fans of The Hub for lunchtime and evening food we decided to give this harbour front hang-out a go for breakfast. The breakfast menu itself is fairly simple but what they do, they do well. This time around we decided to share a stack of pancakes with summer berries & maple syrup and a ‘Pig me up’. Both delicious but the pancakes were a definite hit for me. Whilst the weather wasn’t quite so kind on this breakfast outing the cosy booths and décor create an American style diner feel which is a refreshing change for St Ives.

There are a few more breakfast outings planned this summer so if I come across any other gems I’ll let you know.

Kelly x

Let summer time begin!

As if by magic as the clocks sprung forward we were greeted with glorious weather, longer evenings and the best waves in weeks.


The smell of BBQs is back and shorts and flip flops are being fashioned across town! Summer is here for the moment, so don't forget the sun cream and we'll see you on the beach....

Winter Sun

Whilst much of the country has been embracing snow, we've been enjoying clear skies, crispy mornings and a very healthy amount of sun for February! Here are a few pics we took over the last week or two...

Red sky in the morning - not a shepherds warning on this day

Looking towards Godrevy one morning

If this was summer those tables wouldn't be empty!

We've got some great deals if you want to come and enjoy a relaxing break in St Ives, why not have a look at our latest luxury spa break offer? Or see here for our half term and late availability offers.

Where was the pot of gold?

With the weather as it is we've been lucky enough to spot a fair few rainbows in the past week, the problem is the camera hasn't always been to hand, but here are a few we did catch...

Another award for St Ives? Really?

Yes, St Ives has scooped another award, this time from the coveted Traveller's Choice Awards. We felt this deserved some space on the blog, so we will continue with the events theme next time. So what was this award for?

After winning ‘best UK holiday destination’ in 2010, St Ives has now been awarded ‘best beaches in the UK’ by Tripadvisor users at the Traveller's Choice Awards.

All with naturally soft sand, beach cafes and hire shops, they have something different to offer everyone. Porthmeor (30 metres from The Sail Lofts) is the year-round surfers beach. With the newly refurbished Porthmeor Beach Café, a surf school, chalets that can be pre-booked, and world famous Tate St Ives, Porthmeor faces northwest and is perfect for the Atlantic waves. If you’ve got small children or toddlers, 

Porthgwidden (a minutes walk from the Sail Lofts) is the one to choose. Nestled beneath the slopes of the ‘Island’, with uninterrupted views across St Ives Bay to Godrevy Lighthouse, it’s smaller crescent shape is sheltered and just right for children. There’s also got the wonderful Porthgwidden Beach Café serving food all day, with their own hire shop and beach chalets to pre-book. 

A ten minute walk round the harbour front, past the Lifeboat House and up through the Warren brings you to Porthminster, a traditional family beach with a choice of cafes, shops, and hire facilities. Don’t miss having a meal at the award winning Porthminster Beach Café which is on the sand itself, with fantastic views from the restaurant and their outside terrace across St Ives Bay towards Gwithian and Godrevy. 

Not forgetting the Harbour Beach at low tide and Carbis Bay for a spot of crabbing, St Ives is lucky to have such a selection of beaches. 

If you want to take advantage of all these lovely beaches in this lovely spring weather then we have had two unfortunate cancellations for this Friday 15th April in our Island and Zennor apartments. 

Let it snow let it snow let it snow

Unusually Cornwall has received a little bit of snow again this year - not as much as the East and the North but quite a lot for Cornwall! Here are a few pictures and photo's from the past week...

Don't forget if you have any images of the snow in Cornwall you would like to share post them on our Flickr or Facebook page. 


We have a selection of apartments available at the moment at special rates, do contact us or visit our last minute page for the latest offers.