St Ives for Your Next Holiday?

St Ives is one of the most beautiful places you could hope to visit, in the very heart of Cornwall, England. St Ives offers the visitor many things and sums Cornwall up in just one word 'beautiful'. I have visited this magical Cornish coastal town for over 20 years and never grow tired of its beatific charm. Over the years, new businesses have been established but there are many which I have been established for many years and provide new and old souvenirs, works of art and gifts as reminders of a trip to west Cornwall.

One of the reasons I believe St Ives has remained relatively unchanged during the twenty years I have visited is the road network, traveling from the north there is just one major route to St Ives, in fact most of Cornwall reminds me of a place which has remained isolated from the rest of the UK in some way. This isolation has made Cornwall the perfect holiday destination for tourists of every social class and has holiday ideas to suit every budget.

Whilst in St Ives you can expect to find every type of accommodation there is camp sites with chalets, luxury self-catering cottages and quality hotels most of which provide wonderful views over St Ives or out to sea. Obviously those without views or outside of the main town are cheaper than those smacks in the middle.

The restaurants on the seafront provide fantastic seafood cuisine and value for money, one of my favourite eateries is a restaurant hidden away in the back streets on a road called Fish Street, I highly recommend hunting this restaurant out.

St Ives has a massive arts culture and has attracted artists from the world over, it seems like every third shop is a gallery displaying fine art from around Cornwall and St Ives. The Tate gallery displays not only local but world renowned artists and during the summer is guaranteed to have a seasonal exhibit of interest - it has not failed to impress me yet at least. From the top of the Tate; the cafe provides amazing panoramic views of Porthmeor beach, a good day out in all weather conditions.

Basing yourself here while in Cornwall sets you in good stead to see the rest of Cornwall, you're in close distance to all of the attractions within Cornwall including the Eden Project and the National Maritime Museum, both of which are a short train journey or a drive away.

Isaac writes for Cornwall Cottage Boutique who are a self-catering accommodation specialists for cottages in St Ives. For a taste of St Ives read our latest article on St Ives beaches.