
Porthmeor
Detailed above is the selection of beaches in St Ives – but these three are our top picks. Porthmeor is our number one. It does attract crowds in the summer, but it also offers sheltered waters, gentle waves and golden sands. In the winter, it’s the perfect place to sit with a coffee, and just immerse yourself in the tranquillity of the view. There’s lifeguard cover from 30th March through to the end of October, and dogs are welcome from the 30th September through until the Sunday before Easter.

Porthminster
An excellent beach ‘cafe’, sheltered sands and turquoise waters – what more could you want from a beach? It’s a particularly good beach for families, with plenty of places in sight for kids to run, and lifeguard cover from the 19th March until the 30th September. The waters are often free from fast-paced surfers too, with Porthmeor being their go-to St Ives beaches – so you’ll be able to swim and the kids will be able to bodyboard without interrupting anyone’s flow! Dogs are welcome at this beach from the 30th September through until the Sunday before Easter.

Porthgwidden
This beach is slightly smaller and a little hidden from view. Unless you head onto the small section of the coastal footpath that goes around The Island (the St Ives headland), Porthgwidden is tricky to see. But, discover it, and you’ll be rewarded with a beach just as sandy and a sea just as turquoise as the other St Ives beaches. Dogs are welcome here from the 30th September through until the Sunday before Easter.