Luxury self-catering accommodation in St Ives

St Ives has long been a haven for those in search of artistic or intellectual freedom. Many influential figures caught the train down to this far-west corner of England’s coast in the twenties and thirties and never left - Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Terry Frost being perhaps the most luminary figures of the set. The siren call of this beautiful old pilchard port still rings loud to this day, making it a honey pot for holidaying visitors. Despite this, St Ives is no less abounding in artistic spirit. A wealth of independent galleries line the cobbled streets and the renowned Tate St Ives (recently benefitting from a multimillion-pound investment) was allotted a prime position in its iconic spiralling building overlooking Porthmeor beach.

When visitors have ticked Hepworth’s sculpture garden and the surrounding galleries off the list, there’s plenty to keep hungry eyes amused. The sheltered bays are perfect for rock-pooling and, just down the road, there’s excellent surf on offer at three-mile-long beach Godrevy. Heading west towards Zennor, families can onboard a boat from the slipway to Seal Island; a small rocky islet home to a colony of Atlantic grey seals. Look out for anglerfish, dogfish and the century-old shipwreck en route. Whether getting creative amidst the artsy culture, losing track of time in the town’s winding backstreets or finding secluded coastal walks and award-winning roast dinners further west, you’ll be hard pushed to find a more charming holiday destination than St Ives.