Porthminster Beach

If you arrive in St Ives by train (or bus for that matter) one of the first sights you will be greeted by is the crescent of golden sand that is Porthminster beach. Barely a minutes walk away from the train station this is without doubt one of Cornwall's finest beaches.

The beach is backed by a sloping grassy hillside dotted with elegant Edwardian villas. To one side is a wooded headland around which lies Carbis Bay . To the other is St Ives harbour.
When the tide is low Porthminster joins up with the Harbour beach forming an great expanse of beach. 

 On a sunny day the colours here are spectacular and it is little wonder St Ives came to host such a thriving community of artists. There is the green of the backdrop, the pale gold of the sand and the translucent azure of the sea.

Porthminster is an excellent family beach and has been rewarded as such with consistent Blue Flag awards. The sheltered aspect means it is safe to generally safe to swim here and there is also a summer lifeguard service on the beach.

There are plenty of facilities including the much lauded Porthminster Beach Café, renown for its quality seafood and al fresco dining. If you fancy stretching your legs there is an 18 hole mini golf course behind the beach as well as a promenade running along the back of the beach.

Over the years I have always thought of Porthminster as being St Ives' second beach, after Porthmeor. Never quite sure where this idea came from but thinking about it I may well have had it the wrong way round.