A Guide to St Ives Beaches: Part 1...

When staying in our beautiful self catering apartments you are absolutely spoilt for choice with some of the most breathtaking beaches in the country. There’s something for everyone, with surfing coves, dog walking spots, and family friendly beaches safe for children. Why not make the most of your holiday by taking in the best beaches we have to offer? Here’s part one of our guide to the St Ives beaches. 

Porthmeor

Just a stones throw away from The Sail Lofts you will find Porthmeor, one of Cornwall’s most beautiful beaches. This Atlantic facing beach is a surfers paradise. It’s not particularly sheltered on a windy day, so make use of the Sail Loft’s wind breaks. It has all the facilities you could need with the Porthmeor Beach Café serving beautiful food to eat in or takeaway. If you’re interested in dabbling in some water sports Porthmeor also boasts the St Ives Surf School which offers lessons, board hire, kayaking and coasteering. 

Awards: Blue Flag & Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

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

Parking: No Designated Parking.

Dogs: Seasonal ban from Easter to the 1^st October.

Toilets: Yes.

Porthminster

Only a 15 minute walk from our holiday cottages this sheltered, family friendly beach has easy access with great facilities. The award winning seafood restaurant, The Porthminster Café, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as having a takeaway service right on the beach, perfect if you forgot to pack a picnic!

Awards: Blue Flag & Trip Advisor Travellers Choice.

Lifeguard Service: Daily from 19 May to 30 September.

Parking: Parking close to the beach (Warning: it fills up quick)

Dogs: Seasonal ban from Easter to the 1^st October.

Toilets: Yes. 

Porthgwidden

This small, hidden beach is a real Cornish gem. Lying in the nook of the Island this beach is just a few minutes away from our luxury apartments. It’s extremely sheltered, great for kids and has plenty of facilities including beach huts that are available to rent from the council. The wonderful Porthgwidden Café also over looks the beach with a kiosk for coffee and snacks.

Awards: Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence.

Lifeguard Service: No Lifeguard Cover.

Parking: Parking in the Island car park. (Warning: it fills up quick)

Dogs: Seasonal ban from Easter to the 1^st October.

Toilets: Yes.

Beach towels and wind breaks are provided in every apartment and buckets and spades are available from our wet room. If you need directions to any beaches don’t be afraid to ask, we’re here to help. Stay tuned till next week for part two of our St Ives beach guide.

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

Worth the drive...

St Ives is filled with beautiful, winding cobbled streets which only adds to its Cornish charm but those roads can make parking tricky, or near impossible in the height of summer! Take advantage of that rare and wonderful thing we have here at The Sail Lofts holiday cottages, the guest parking, and arrive by car. That way once you’ve explored the town you can hop in the car and venture a little outside of St Ives to see what else Cornwall has to offer.

St Micheal’s Mount, Marazion

Only twenty minutes away you can explore St Micheal’s Mount, a quaint tidal island that’s situated in Mount's Bay. Uniquely it’s only accessible by foot during low tide along a man-made granite walkway and has a population of just 30. The island has beautiful gardens, a charming harbour as well as a medieval castle and a church that was first constructed in the 12^th Century by French monks. If you’re a member of the National Trust you can visit the castle for free, or you can simply wander the beautiful island and soak up that Cornish sunshine. Don’t forget to check the tide times before you go, if in doubt ask our concierge services. 

The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno

Just a half an hour drive from St Ives you will find the most famous and beautiful open air theatre in the country, The Minack Theatre. Not only can you catch an evening show of King Lear or The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but the space is open during the day so you can take in the beautiful view when the sun is shining. If you’re lucky you might even spot a basking shark in the ocean below. The best part about being on a self catering holiday is that you can pack a picnic to eat before the show.

Land’s End

Arguably one of the best views in the country, we reckon the fourty minute drive to Land’s End is worth the trek. Not only can you see the beautiful cliffs towering over the Atlantic ocean but the iconic signpost makes the perfect holiday snap. To soak in the view try the heritage trail for a relaxing afternoon. If that’s not enough to tempt you there’s plenty for the kids to enjoy with their 4D cinema and Shaun the Sheep experience. And if you’re going to be visiting our luxury accommodation at the end of the month be sure to check out Cornish Day on the 28^th July with storytelling, live music, and fireworks. 

This is just a glimpse into the many treasures that a self catering holiday in St Ives has to offer. There’s plenty more to come. 

Onna x  

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CAR PARKING

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

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 16^th & Sunday 17^th 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:

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.

7 nights £919 (£154 pp) | 3 nights £689 (£115 pp)

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.

7 nights £1035  (£173 pp) | 3 nights£775 (£129 pp)

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.

7 nights £1399 (£233 pp) | 3 nights £1049 (£174 pp)

Katy x


Find out more about staying at The Sail Lofts self-catering apartments in St Ives...OR call 01736 799175 

Find out more about The St Ives Food and Drink Festival...

St Ives self-catering days out...

Here at the Sail Lofts we recently updated our luxurious self-catering apartments in St Ives with the stunning addition of Cornwall based Atlantic Blanket's woolen throws, with their bold colours and subtle textile designs they add a level of comfort and practicality into each of our Cornish cottages, creating a truly authentic feel.  As there is nothing better after a long day in Summer spent on the beach than returning to your apartment to warm cold knees snuggling into a familiar cosy Atlantic Blanket...

Atlantic Blankets formed in 2007, when in need of a blanket to comfort a little girl suffering a miserable bout of the spotty pox. Knowing exactly the kind of blanket needed to help her feel better...the silky feel of a much-loved brushed mohair throw that possessed magical curative powers of cosiness! 

Growing up in Cornwall we always had our trusty picnic blanket stored away in the car boot, ready for any impromptu visit to the beach, hikes across the headlands, keeping warm around an evening campfire or even to just snuggle with for a long car journey. Our own tartan family blanket has seen better days, however still resides (slightly patched) on the back seat of our family car.

Atlantic Blankets seasonal collections and designs change from stripes to arans, to herringbone and checks, meaning there is always the perfect colour and design to match and warm every interior. The latest Bloom Collection sings of fresh spring colours and warm peaches, a perfect accompaniment to any and every family picnic on Porthmeor or any of the surrounding St Ives beaches, they have even designed leather straps for ease of carrying for when you are out and about on your travels.

Our favourite is the Green Picnic Blanket with its waterproof backing, ideal for avoiding soggy bottoms and sandwiches. We also recommend checking out the Atlantic Blanket blog to see their top 5 picnic spot recommendations here in Cornwall, so on your next self-catering holiday in St Ives there are some great ideas of places to visit in and around the area, Tehidy Woods and its coastal walks are amongst some of The Sail Loft teams favourite weekend haunts. 

Katy x

To see more head over to the Atlantic Blankets website...

Check last minute availability for self-catering in St Ives in May...

sail loft guide: flag safety

With the Summer season kicking off in St Ives and a few of our self catering holiday guests bravely taking to the sea, we felt it would be a great time to brush up on our beach safety knowledge by testing ourselves on the different flags that we can see on Porthmeor and the surrounding St Ives beaches...

Staying safe and respecting the sea is key when having a trouble free and fun day at the beach, so remember to always spot the local lifeguard and make sure you keep them in sight whilst enjoying the sea and to stay between the yellow and red flags when swimming, body boarding and using inflatables and never risk a dip when a red flag is flying.

All our self catering guests will find a stock of body boards, buckets and spades to borrow in the wet room and as a suggestion we recommend a surfing lesson with the brilliant team at the award winning St Ives Surf School, where Sail Lofts guests get 10% off.

To find out more on flags and beach safety please visit the RNLI website for further information...

Katy x

Changing seasons

We thought it was about time to post some pictures from some adventures we've had around West Cornwall over the last couple of weeks.

A sunny Sunday walk - between Zennor and St Ives looking East

 Penberth - time seems to standstill here

Traditional fishing is still prevelant here...

Penberth looking East - anyone for a snorkel?

 Sennen Lifeboat on its way home as seen from Porthgwarra

 

Porthmeor on one of the wet and stormy days.

We still have some availability for the next few weeks in our apartments in St Ives. Find out more here

We're back (even though we never went anywhere!)

We might have been quiet recently - sorry about that - its been very busy at Sail Lofts HQ! The last month has seen sun, surf, flat spells, a bit of rain and lots and lots of happy visitors to St Ives.

Since we last posted we welcome a new team of cleaners to The Sail Lofts, we have launched our next venture in Suffolk (see below for more info) and we have launched 2012 pricing - if this isn't enough we have some other exciting new projects coming soon.

A late cancellation means our Bay apartment is available next week, grab a bargain as we have reduced the price to £1249 and it sleeps 8 - thats only £22 per person per night.

Moving on, our new venture is a pub in the pretty village of Stoke by Nayland in Suffolk, it is a 16th century inn, which we have added our touch to with a sympathetic refurbishment, a new chef and a new menu (new website is coming soon - we'll keep you posted). If you are around the area do pop in for a drink, some food or stay the night in one of the boutique rooms. We wish the team in Suffolk the best of luck over the coming months. Here are some pictures to give you a flavour...

Feasting, surfing and a round of golf!

St Ives began the week in style as the annual Feast Day kicked off, with the youth of the town scrabbling around for a silver ball, which then led to a cold swim for two brave souls! To see the action and read a bit more about it this blog has a great perspective on the day.

Philip down here at The Sail Lofts celebrated his Birthday in style by winning a competitive game of golf over the weekend at Tehidy Park Golf Club. His family and friends lucked into some glorious weather for the game as well, good timing!

The surf was on fire over the weekend as well, the south coast was great on Saturday and was well overhead, with some sneaky barrels. With the sun shining I'm sure there will be some great photos floating around, but check this video of Porthleven, looks nice!

On Sunday the North Coast decided to turned really clean and Porthtowan was really good fun with long long lefts and some really fun walls. Its been a while but what a weekend! 

Here at The Sail Lofts we are fully booked for half term week but we do have some great offers on holidays in st ives coming up soon, so keep your eyes on the website.

Whats happening in St Ives

Even though we are still in the depths of winter there seems to be quite a lot happening in St Ives. The Tate has reopened again with the Dexter Dalwood exhibition, I'm yet to make it down there but I've been hearing good things!

A long lasting tradition in St Ives is St Ives Feast Day, seen as a signal for the start of the season, it takes place on Monday 8th February. Traditionally to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of the Parish Church of St Eia in 1434, it's also a day off for everyone at school. Central to the other goings-on is The Hurling of the Silver Ball; so old, no one quite knows when it originated. At 10.30am the Silver Ball (same size as a tennis ball, but made of wood and covered in silver leaf), is hurled from the wall of the Parish Church over Lambeth Walk Beach and into the mass crowd of young people, who have arranged themselves into teams, by the Mayor, this year Cllr Yvonne Watson. Each team tries to keep the ball until noon, when it's returned to the Mayor at The Guildhall. This usually involves a number of huge scrums, swimming with it across the bay and/or other pre-planned distractions to stop opposing teams grabbing it. The person who gets the ball back to the Guildhall at midday is given a silver coin (originally a crown piece); everyone else gets a penny. In 1823 William Webb Ellis, with total disregard for the laws of soccer, picked up the ball at Rugby School and ran around. The Hurling of the Silver Ball may throw another answer as to the origins of rugby; well, Cornish rugby anyway.

For those less inclined to take part in this, or can't make it, some more civilised goings on are as follows:

The St Ives Jazz Club every Tuesday, there are some good acts playing throughout February including Trevor Watkis Trio, but for a full listing see here.

On top of all this there is a Childrens Workshop - Paint and Plant with Jo.
Wednesday 17th February - 11.00 - 13.00.
St Ives Library
Decorate a plant pot for Spring - with Jo McIntosh.
£2.00 per child.
Places limited - advance booking strongly advised.
Call the library: 0300 1234 111

Jo is also running a series of workshops for adults.
Details on the website:


The Sail Lofts has some great offers on again for next week we are still offering up to 50% off, please see here.

Don't leave it too late to whisk your loved one away for a break over Valentines, we are getting booked up quickly but for our latest availability either visit our website or telephone 01736 799 175

Working, surfing and the occasional pint!

We've been exceptionally busy over the last week with several incoming bookings, so apologies for no blog post over the last week or so! 

We had a good run of surf over the last week with some clean conditions most days either on the south or north coast and it seems to have continued into this week for those who are prepared  to search. 

I had a good surf on saturday down at Praa Sands first thing, with some high tide offshore fun, the sun was blazing and it had to be one of the mildest days so far of 2010. The sun continued through the weekend and all the puddles have dried and we seem to be going through a really nice spell. 

A pint at the Trengilly Wartha was due again on Sunday with their infamous Trengilly Gold ale proving a good way to pass the afternoon and catch up with friends.


Its been all happening in St Ives, the streets are getting busier again, the Tate has opened with Dexter Dalwood's new Exhibition, a great attraction for all those thinking of visiting St Ives.
 
We've also been looking at some new items for the apartments, so regulars can expect some subtle changes over the next year or so, very exciting as we are trying really hard to push our standards even higher. 

As usual we have some fantastic deals for late availability and last minute breaks, with these starting to book up quickly as people take advantage of the peace and quiet at this time of year and the surprisingly the good weather!

Surfing and hanging

The Sail Lofts has been busy this week with bookings flying in and a change of scene in some of the apartments. Whilst we are busy changing art, it is nothing compared to the scale of the rehanging at the Tate St Ives as they prepare for the new Dexter Dalwood exhibition opening on the 23rd January. 


New artwork has been added to many of our apartments, with some new pieces of work from Andrew Garner and additional pieces from Sonya Walters a local St Ives artist. Andrews work is very contemporary and his latest works, entitled ‘Passage’, reflect the layers in the stages of life.

It has been a good week of surf too, I've made it into the water a few times and feeling very jealous of those surfing Porthmeor today, 2-3ft and clean with a light offshore! Luckily the swell is going to keep rolling in we should be able to find a wave for a while yet. The winds are going to become a little more tricky, with North Westerlies forecast, possibly some South coast days?

For those who want to fly down to Cornwall for a bargain holiday, AirSouthWest are offering flights at £29, superb value!


We were interested to find out today too that not only are we five star but we have the Gold Award, which means we are at the very top of self catering holidays!

We still have great offers for breaks, so visit our website for more information and to take advantage of up to 50% off.

Making the most of 2009

After a few days off it was back to the office yesterday and its been very busy with new bookings (perhaps taking advantage of the 15% Vat?). The Christmas break was brilliant, some dry days, walking along the coast paths and of course a few visits to some fine public houses. 

I made a visit to the Trengillywartha Inn at Nancenoy (the other side of Helston), and what a lovely pub it is, great food and atmosphere and a some rather tasty ales! I would recommend it to anyone, only a half hour drive from St Ives and it is a convenient stopping point for some good walks. 

We were gifted with some surf over the Christmas break, a couple of North coast days with some solid waves and a brilliant south coast day on Sunday at Praa Sands (20 minutes from St Ives). This week has and will see some small but clean conditions and looking into the weekend it should be small but offshore on the North Coast. Porthmeor had a wave this morning but its dropped away near high tide.


St Ives is bustling away with tourists making the most of the sales and the independent shops and galleries, and the preparations for St Ives' famous New Year celebrations are beginning. Fancy dress all the way!

As a thank you to our blog readers we are offering 20% off all apartments for January vacations, and if you book before the 31st December you can take advantage of the 15% VAT. To find out more please give us a call and tell us where you saw the offer on 01736 799175.

Lastly we would like to take the opportunity to wish you a very happy and prosperous new year!

Longer days are on the way!

What a crisp couple of days its been, icy cold in the mornings but on the whole glorious sunshine (with the odd hail or sleet shower) all in all St Ives seems to be fairing better than the rest of the country! I took this picture at lunch time today (sorry for poor quality only had my phone), it could almost be summer.

We're almost fully booked for Christmas now, but still have some space for New Year, and as a gesture of festive good will we've reduced the prices significantly for some lucky people! To find out more about these deals, either give us a ring on 01736 799 175 or visit The Sail Lofts and look for our offers at the bottom of the page.

The surf has been a bit quiet recently, a rarity for the time of year! However things are looking like they may improve over the week, providing those winds play ball, at the very least there should be a bit of xmas swell. Magicseaweed is predicting some very long wave periods, and if it all comes good it could be a small but powerful swell!

We've started asking guests to review us on Tripadvisor, and what a response we have received! Thank you to all of you who have posted a review!

The Sail Lofts are now very busy with our xmas guests, and the town center is getting busier, especially with holiday makers enjoying a day out in the sun. So I best not blog for too long, as work, xmas shopping and the sun are calling!

Clear skies of St Ives

This is our first blog, and we'll be writing about St Ives mostly and giving an insight into some of activities and past times we enjoy in Cornwall. This will include local events, surf, art, and all things St Ives. As a bonus we will also be letting you know of some of the exclusive offers Sail Lofts self catering can offer to our online readers.


Winter has definitely arrived in St Ives this week, with the first frosts of the seasons and the town is gearing up for xmas. But its good winter weather as we're getting mostly clear skies letting the sun shine through, gone are the dramatic gales and showers of autumn.

The nice weather has also given some nice clean surf for the past week or so, with some days better than others, but the open beaches of the North coast have finally been working for the first time in a while. As part of this blog we'll try and post some pictures of the surf in the area too.

Xmas is very nearly here but its not too late to book a holiday to recover from all the Christmas parties. We have some fantastic last minute deals available, so why not have a very special break in the lovely St Ives this Christmas or New year? To find out more visit our special offers page or call us on 01736 799 175.