St Ives Storms...

With the latest storms battering the St Ives coastline I decided it would be a great time to talk about the beauty that comes with such ferocity. St Ives becomes a dramatic and wild frontier abound with incredible vistas to be viewed from both the safety of your self catering accommodation or along the local coastal foot paths… 

Storm Abigail

White horses rushed on Porthmeor Beach on Friday 13^th November, creating some of the most spectacular views of the year. If you are one for storm chasing this one was not to be missed. The bright winter skies created a stunning back drop for the thundering, tall waves that came storming up along the soft sand, along with breath taking winds that shot up the slipway and along Porthmeor Road and rattled around the inner court yard of the Sail Lofts.

Storm Kate

The day later we saw Kate with her strong wintery grey mass of clouds and rain thunder down upon the harbour, and surrounding coastline washing away any remaining traces of our mellow Autumn. The harbours’ high tide brought the waves sloshing up in to the streets, and breaking in to the road, whilst locals dodged the tides to make safe passageway.

Storm Barney

Hailing from the North and bringing an uncommon biting chill to the South West, Barney has officially kicked off the winter for us here in St Ives. With incredible morning views to be seen around the St Ives bay as the sun breaks over the slumbering town, leaving an eerie calm in its wake, a stark contrast from Saturday when Barney initially arrived bringing barreling waves that bore down on Porthgwidden beach, a true force majeure.

Here at the Sail Lofts luxury self catering apartments in St Ives we recommend visiting St Ives throughout the seasons, as each one brings its own natural beauty and excitement. However the winter months are amongst the finest for seeing the local scenery brought to life by the power of Mother Nature.

To enquire about self catering stays in St Ives give our friendly team a call on 01736 799175 and we will be happy to help plan your next stay in St Ives, just moments from Porthmeor Beach and the local coastal foot paths.

Katy x

Winter bird watching in Cornwall

The West Penwith area is not just well know for it’s outstanding beaches and coastal towns such as St Ives but it is also infamous amongst ornithological groups for it’s bird life. With a diverse range of habitats and some of the best kept wild landscapes in the UK, West Penwith is home to an epic selection of native species from buzzards to choughs and also commonly visited by foreign birds known as “vagrants”. The term vagrant refers to birds that have strayed or been blown from their usual migratory course and in the case of those that turn up on Cornwall’s coast lines it’s North American birds which get blown across the Atlantic on route to South America. This autumn there have been a record number of American vagrants including spotted sandpipers and red-eyed vireos, as a direct result of Hurricane Katia.

Our beautiful, luxury self catering apartments in St Ives are perfectly located to make the most of this rich area of wildlife so pack your binoculars and stay at The Sail Lofts this winter. Here are a few nearby sites we recommend for spotting Cornish birdlife:

The Island

Just moments from our luxury accommodation in St Ives is The Island which unlike the name suggests is a small grassy peninsula off Porthmeor Beach offering spectacular views of the Atlantic ocean on three sides and views of the whole town and towards Godrevy lighthouse from the top of the mound. From The Island common sightings include gannets, cormorants, herring gulls, puffins and other coastal wildlife such as seals and dolphins.

Hayle Estuary

A 15 minute drive from The Sail Lofts five star holiday cottages in St Ives you will find Hayle Estuary which is the most south westerly estuary in the UK and one that never freezes. The rich pickings on the mud flaps, which are exposed at low tide provide a bird buffet attracting wading birds including curlews, little egrets and oyster catchers. The estuary opens out onto the vast sands of Porthkidney Beach where you can continue watching the birds whilst enjoying the fantastic scenery.

Marazion Marshes

This reserve overlooks the beautiful St Michael's Mount and boasts Cornwall's largest reedbed. In the car from our luxury holiday accommodation in St Ives the marshes are about a 20 minute drive. More than 250 bird, 500 plant, 500 insect and 18 mammal species have been recorded here. In some years starlings roost here from October-December and their spectacular aerial acrobatics over the reedbeds are a sight worth seeing.

For availability at The Sail Lofts this winter please follow the links below:

November
December
January
February

and to speak to one of our team please call the office on: 01736 799175 or email: info@thesaillofts.co.uk

Hope this inspires you to get out and about in the great Cornish landscape.

Abi x