English beach at Its best…read more Situated in the shadow of the iconic Tate St Ives gallery, Porthmeor is a sandy, safe beach, popular with surfers and swimmers alike. It's in an ideal location just a stone's throw from the centre of St Ives, where you'll find ancient pubs, trendy cafes and lots of art galleries the town is famous for. A perfect place for a beach picnic - you can easily get all you need from the town, the beach is busy in summer with families who enjoy the easy access, and in winter the surf brigade from the town have all those rollers right on their doorstep. Porthmeor is one of only eight beaches in Cornwall that hold the prestigious Blue Flag Award 2021, given in recognition of water quality, safety, environmental management and education. Lifeguard cover from Easter until the end of October (2021). Parking - the car parks in St Ives get full very early in main season, and the large car park at the top of town can bit a hike back up. Why not try parking at St Erth station or Lelant Saltings and enjoy the scenic branch line into the heart of St Ives. Please note: Dogs are welcome on this beach except between 15th May and 30 September (10am - 6pm) when a seasonal dog ban is in place (2020).

After driving down from Newquay, managing the narrow roads through St. Ives, my sister-in-law…read morewanted nothing more than the pancakes called out in the Guardian's recommendation of this place. We only had to wait a few minutes at the car park just up the hill, and we were seated almost immediately, though we were told that the kitchen was quite backed up (10am on the last Saturday in August, beautiful morning), so we'd need to wait about 10 minutes to order. No bother, we started with hot chocolate and a carrot-ginger juice (made in house). Drinks were great. Unfortunately, when we did get to order, we were told that they were out of pancakes. So both J and J ended up with poached eggs and toast. Jimmy got the side of chorizo. I got the scrambled eggs, cornish crab, crème fraiche, lemon and rocket. Though the kitchen was backed up, the food came decently quickly. My eggs were delightful and mixed quite well with all the other toppings. The views of the beach and surf school were entertaining, as were the menus with the clippings mentioning the historic shipwrecks and even the subsequent capsizing of a lifeboat during the rescue. It's a charming spot, but you'll need to get there early if you want pancakes.

Stayed at the Boats, Peninsular Apartments, St Ives…read more There were a number of complaints, starting when we arrived as the apartment was not adequately cleaned - in fairness to CBH they attended and rectified that quickly. Whilst the listing of the apartment stated two spa passes, we incorrectly expected this to apply to two adults with free children - there was an expectancy that in a four person apartment all guests would have passes - this was not clear on their website and a main reason for our choosing this apartment. Whilst there were numerous apologies from CB and statements like "so sorry that you are disappointed with the apartment and your experience with Carbis Bay Holidays" "Please rest assured we will do our utmost to assist with any issues as quickly as possible during your stay" that doesn't go far when spending £2,200 on one weeks holiday and you continually have poor experiences. Whilst I understand CHB aren't responsible for the noise from the apartment above wooden floor, they fail to advise guests of the noise from weddings from the hotel next door which are often 5-6 times a week and until the early hours. Yet Cornish Gems who advertise in the same block are kind enough to publish this on their apartments! The noise from the hotel had been unbearable due to the weddings during our stay, however with another issue with the bar playing music from early afternoon till late at night, it feels as if you are in a nightclub~ I took recordings of the level of noise if they required but they ignored this. It is completely unacceptable. We have two young children and they have been unable to get to sleep due to the level of noise. It was my daughters 7th birthday on Tuesday and the video of her blowing out her candles, all you can hear is the beat of the music from next door at 3pm in the afternoon! CBH appeared to ignore most of my other feedback, including me pointing out that the blinds in the lounge and bathroom were illegally as they wouldn't prevent children choking if unfortunate to get caught in them, I wont bore you with the rest - they simply offered a £200 gesture of goodwill - less than 10% refund for a ruined holiday. To sum it all up I tried to post a review of the apartment on their direct website to allow people to be aware of the issues we have had, yet the website won't allow the review to complete, CBH holidays then stated they did have the review and were considering it. 10 days later when I chased I was told "Carbis Bay Holidays" have the right to publish whatever content they see fit on the website" Basically it is is a good review it will be published - if bad - they will ignore, so trading standards and visit England have been contacted. I then received a rudely from the Operations Director - "Carbis Bay Holidays will not be entering any further correspondence with regard to this matter" What a great way to do business......so please avoid.

We stayed at The Sanctuary, one of Carbis Bay Holidays St Ives properties and had an amazing time…read more We took our terrier on our hols with us, as this apartment is dog friendly and could not believe how nice it was, especially as some dog friendly properties are not the most luxurious. It was a five minute walk down to Porthminster beach and to the town centre, which was perfect, and we had our own private parking space which was much appreciated. It felt like a real home from home and my husband was over the moon as he had a Playstation III to play with. We enjoyed breakfast on the decking most mornings and loved the coffee making machine, which I miss now we are back home. For those that don't have pets, you wouldn't even know that it was pet friendly property, no doggie smells what's so ever. Will be booking The Sanctuary again without a doubt.

I have been to St ives many times but until recently never camped on this site. i was very…read moreimpressed by how close to the centre it is. The views from our tent over looked the town and the bay. The toilet and washing facilliteis where clean and accesible to everyone on the park. there are plenty of showers, sinks and toilets and it was nice having the sounds of pirate fm playing while having my shower in the morning. The staff where very helpful and friendly and let us leave our car there over night while we walked the south west coast path. The prices at this campsite where good for the facillities it had. We camped at this site but it also has spaces for back packers, touring caravans and it also has some static caravans for hire.

I stayed here in my motorhome in December 2009. It's wonderfully located, handy for the town and,…read moreonce you get past the chalets near the entrance, with a fine view of Porthmeor Beach and the bay. There's a dog walking field at the far end that leads on to the coastal path. The toilet block is the best I've ever seen at a caravan site -- new, shiny and stylish. It's a pity the site owners feel the need to pipe in the local radio station but you can escape that by using one of the individual shower rooms. Nice as the loos are, I feel the site could have diverted some of the money spent on them to levelling the hardstanding pitches. Most of them sloped fore-and-aft and sideways, which makes pitching a motorhome complicated. The owners could also learn from how the two main caravan clubs surface their pitches. That apart, it was a very enjoyable stay. Prices were higher than I'm used to but you're paying for the location. However, the site gives a good discount if you stay longer than a week. Staff were professional and polite but, with one exception, not outgoing. And if Lucy takes your money, check her arithmetic!

Have stayed with Powells Cottage Holiday five times in St Ives and Carbis Bay. Always had a really…read moregood break. They have cottages and holiday apartments, which are pretty different decor wise. Lots around the harbour which is great if you've got children. Would happily recommend them and have done to family and friends.

Stayed in a very expensive property that somehow appears in this company's 'premier' section. A lot…read moreof issues with the property and building work next door. All fully known in advance by Powells who did nothing. Didn't even visit despite being 2 minutes walk away. Sa