St Ives Beaches

St Ives is one of Cornwall's best-loved holiday towns, a working fishing harbour turned art colony whose exceptional light has drawn painters and sculptors here since the late nineteenth century. Its beaches are just as varied as its history: this guide covers nine of them, from the vast tidal sands at the mouth of the Hayle Estuary, through the resort beach at Carbis Bay and the town's own cluster of Porthminster, Harbour Beach, Bamaluz Beach, Porthgwidden and Porthmeor, out along the South West Coast Path to the wilder, little-visited coves below Zennor village.

Three of the eight - Carbis Bay, Porthminster and Porthmeor - hold Blue Flag status for 2026, Cornwall Council's mark of exceptional water quality, safety and environmental management. Porthmeor, overlooked by Tate St Ives, is the town's flagship surf beach and the centre of its artistic identity; Porthminster and Carbis Bay both have direct access from stations on the scenic St Ives Bay branch railway line. Further out, Porthkidney Sands and the coves near Zennor - Zennor Cove itself, and the paired Treen and Porthglaze coves near Gurnard's Head - offer a quieter, wilder alternative reached mostly on foot.

Each beach below has its own dedicated page with a full visitor guide - parking, facilities, disabled access information, a precise map, nearby things to do and places to stay - researched and kept up to date. Use the buttons above or the list below to jump to any beach.