St ives, cornwall, is it hard to park near the sea front ?

[Lardlizard]

I’ve not been before, but someone told me it’s a bit of a bugger to park near the the sea front ?

Norway Stores - a big range of stuff for such a tiny shop!

My favourite cream tea place has been sold ☹️

A severe lack of cashpoints in St Ives. I can think of 2 and they run out of money quickly. The rest have all gone. Just adding that to the lack of list!

We went to St Ives for a wedding a few years ago. Height of summer, bloody lovely weather. Parking was an absolute nightmare. The hotel we booked had a car parking space included, but it was full. Had to park up at the Rugby club during the day and then move the car overnight. Not fun when trying to move a family’s load of wedding stuff to and from the car.

Absolutely adored the place, but tramping and down the hills for a weekend certainly took the shine off!

So I’m thinking Penzance instead ?

For Porthcuro ?

Which tea room, sarcelle?

I wouldn’t stay in Penzance itself necessarily, it has more of a town feel about it, but Marazion or Newlyn/Mousehole are nice. If not St Ives then I would consider staying somewhere more rural, e.g. Zennor/Newmill/St Buryan and use the car to visit a bunch of places. The advantage of being in St Ives is the ability to do a lot on foot, including a few beaches, I think anywhere else in West Cornwall doesn’t quite have that so I’d pick secluded inland and travel around

Nice sandy beaches outside of Cornwall
Salcombe
Hope Cove
Bigbury
All Devon

West Wittering and East Head has to be one of most beautiful beaches in the country. West Sussex

Isle of Wight has stunning beaches with sand at Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Seaview, St Helens.

Broadstairs has several good sandy beaches.

Stay 1 stop up the train line in Carbis Bay. Most beautiful beach, most properties have parking and you’re just a 2 min train ride from St Ives. It’s wonderful.

I agree with holly head.

You can’t park there unless you’ve got a property though, parking is still rare.

Really, it’s never wise to stay in st Ives in summer without a parking spot.

@CountessFrog The one in The Digey

Bumbles Tea Room Sarcelle?

My brother had a property in the Digey but it did not come with parking. He used to unload and park up at Carbis Bay and cycle back!

I think St Ives is best if you stay there, because an awful lot of the crowds disappear from around 5 pm onwards. I've had many an absolutely sublime walk on near-empty beaches in the evenings or early mornings.

Sarcelle, the one up the steps next door to the little gallery?

You can always watch St.Ives on here OP

orangeroofs.co.uk/webcam/

When lockdown first started we watched it a lot!

Its quiet at the moment, and still beautiful of course

Love that webcam, I usually watch the Sloop or Aspects ones but that is better, can't believe how empty it is.

I like this webcam - www.cornishrivieraholidays.co.uk/webcam-stives

I like to put it on full screen and pretend it's the view from my window. I just need the sound, now.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/RestaurantReview-g186243-d2419788-Reviews-TheeDigeyFooddRoom-StIvessCornwallEngland.html

this one @countessfrog Not much to look at, more of a deli, but it did a great cream tea.

My favourite before this one turned itself into a wine bar, not far from Smeaton's Pier. So not sure where I will go.

The one up the stairs is called Olives I believe. I have never managed to get in there, it's small and busy (and often closed when I have been there).

Oh no! We stay literally just round the corner! They did a great breakfast.

I know the one that turned into a wine bar, it was a great tea room - little leaded windows behind the harbour beach. I’ve never been into the one at the top of the digey, the one with knitted cakes in the windows, have you?

@sarcelle - do you mean Peppers? Sort of an Italian-ish place up some stairs, on Fore St? It’s an institution, where we had many a meal out as teenagers (because teenagers in St Ives are mini foodies , or at least we were!)

No she means a tearoom you some steps in the digey. Peppers is at the end of Fore Street, so not in the Digey - one if the places I’ve never eaten. Ill give it a go, I think!

The thought of going to st Ives this July gives me an anxiety attack. We stay near there every year in a quieter place. There's no way on earth I'd be visiting this year. Parking is horrendous, beach packed and lanes are tiny.

Sorry, I missed the Digey part of that, saw steps and olives, and thought maybe Peppers. I’m not sure whether to recommend it or not, seeing as I probably haven’t been in there for 20 years now, but we liked it, and it looks like the menu has barely changed. Most trips home include a visit to Seafood Cafe and to Blas Burger these days. And the DC must eat about 75 pasties of course.

I think she means Olives Cafe (up the steps).
Bumbles Tea Room is round the corner (no steps).

The tea room next to the art gallery up the steps is a different part of town.

My favourite was Cobblestones in the 80s (just past the loos by the Lifeboat). The views were stunning.

Loved the Cantina in the 90s too!

There’s a little art gallery up the steps next to Olives. Blas Burgers legendary. How can they possibly open? I hope they can do take away