on 06/12/2019
St Ives is a fantastic holiday destination at any time of year, but especially during the quieter winter months! There's always plenty to do, come rain or shine! Take a look at 6 of the best places to visit in St Ives during the winter:
St Ives is known for being a popular holiday destination and it was even voted as the Best Seaside Town in The British Travel Awards in 2010 and 2011. An advantage of visiting this seaside town in the winter is that it is much quieter, so you can explore all it has to offer more freely! Enjoy the untouched beaches, quieter shops and art galleries and dine in the usually-fully-booked restaurants! St Ives in the winter is truly underrated!
St Ives has some fantastic beaches to visit at any time of year It has 5 beaches in total and 3 of those are Blue Flag beaches. The 3 Blue Flag beaches are out of only 8 in Cornwall - Porthmeor, Porthminster and Carbis Bay. Porthmeor Beach was even voted 5thplace out of the Top 25 Beaches in the UK!
It may not be as warm as when visiting in summer, but there are certainly perks to visiting these beautiful beaches in winter time! Take advantage of the quieter winter months and go for a stroll across the untouched golden sand.
Another advantage of visiting St Ives in the winter is the lifted dog bans on the beaches! If you’re looking to holiday in St Ives with your dog, there’s no better time to visit than in the winter! Your four legged friends can run free at any time of the day on any of the 5 beaches in the popular seaside town.
Stay in this holiday cottage in St Ives which has sea views and a hot tub!
St Ives is a unique place to visit to shop. You’re within a few minutes walking distance from the beach, have a vast selection of independent shops and popular high street chains and they are all set on a beautiful narrow cobbled street. Every aspect of shopping in St Ives makes visiting in winter all that bit better! You can take your time pondering around each shop, without the hustle and bustle that you are faced with when visiting in summer. In December, the main streets are lit with twinkling lights. It’s truly magnificent!
This holiday cottage near St Ives is 4 Star Gold Award cottage and is dog friendly!
Did you know St Ives is also home to the Tate St Ives, which is 1 of only 4 Tate Art Galleries across the UK. The gallery even won Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2018. This iconic gallery is situated overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, exhibiting contemporary artwork created by British artists. It has a number of exhibitions on throughout the year, for which you can book tickets through the Tate St Ives website. You can pre-book the date and time of your admission to the gallery on their website, the prices are listed below. If you’re a Tate Member, admission is free!
Opening times:
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 – 16:20
Price list:
Adults - £7.50
Concession - £6.50
If you love art, why not visit the the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden too? It contains the largest group of Hepworth's works and is located where the artist lived and worked from 1949 until 1975. The Trewyn Studio remained as her studio until she died and in 1980 it was established as the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden and has been managed by the Tate gallery since 1980. The museum opening times and admission prices are listed below:
Winter opening times:
1stNovember – 28thFebruary: 10am – 4pm
Admission prices:
Adults - £7
Concessions - £6
Children - Free
This cosy holiday cottage in Hayle, nr St Ives, has two bedrooms and sleeps up to 4 people!
The Leach Pottery Museum is full of history, with the Old Pottery workshop dating back to 1920. It even includes what is thought to be the first Japanese kiln in the western world! It is a great place to visit on a cold or rainy day when visiting St Ives. Take a look at Leach’s work, as well as many other fantastic potters and follow the process of how pots are thrown and decorated. You can even have a go yourself, and really get hands-on with the clay! The have-a-go sessions are included in the admission price to the museum. The admission prices are listed below, as well as the museum opening times:
Winter Opening times:
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00 (November – February)
Admission Prices:
Adults - £6
Concessions - £5
Under 18s - Free
