Town guide
St Ives, Cornwall: beaches, parking and what’s on
Photograph to come St Ives.
St Ives is described by Wikidata as a “seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England”. Its Cornish name is Porth Ia. Here are the beaches, council car parks and event listings nearby.
- Cornish name
- Porth Ia
- Beaches in our guide within 10 km
- 12
- Council car parks within 3 km
- 12
- Nearest railway station
- St Ives station (200 m (0.1 miles))
- Events
- Share Cornwall
Beaches near St Ives
Beaches in our guide within 10 km of the centre of St Ives, nearest first.
| Beach | Distance (straight line) | Council dog rule | Water quality 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porthminster | 300 m (0.2 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September | Excellent |
| Porthmeor | 640 m (0.4 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September | Excellent |
| Porthgwidden | 830 m (0.5 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August | Excellent |
| Carbis Bay | 1.6 km (1.0 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September | Excellent |
| Porthkidney Sands | 3.4 km (2.1 miles) | Check the council map: a nearby listed area has dog rules | Excellent |
| Mexico Towans | 4.1 km (2.6 miles) | Check the council map: a nearby listed area has dog rules | Excellent |
| Hayle Towans | 4.5 km (2.8 miles) | Check the council map: a nearby listed area has dog rules | Excellent |
| Upton Towans | 5.5 km (3.4 miles) | Check the council map: a nearby listed area has dog rules | Excellent |
| Gwithian Towans | 6.6 km (4.1 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August (council-listed stretch) | Excellent |
| Godrevy | 6.7 km (4.2 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August (council-listed stretch) | Excellent |
| Marazion | 9.3 km (5.8 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August (council-listed stretch) | Excellent |
| Long Rock | 9.3 km (5.8 miles) | Check the council map: a nearby listed area has dog rules | Excellent |
Council dog restrictions listed under St Ives
- Porthgwidden Beach, St Ives: no dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August (map PDF)
- Porthmeor Beach, St Ives: no dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September (map PDF)
- Porthminster Beach, St Ives: no dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September (map PDF)
- St Ives Harbour Beach, St Ives: no dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August (map PDF)
From Cornwall Council’s dogs-on-beaches list, last updated 23 October 2026.
Council car parks in and near St Ives
Cornwall Council car parks within 3 km of the centre, nearest first. We do not quote charges, which change; each council page has current tariffs.
| Council car park | Postcode | Distance (straight line) | Spaces | Open | Council page updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station, St Ives | TR26 2BH | 170 m (0.1 miles) | 106 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
| Westcotts Quay, St Ives | TR26 2EA | 180 m (0.1 miles) | 7 | 24 hours | 27 May 2026 |
| Park Avenue, St Ives | TR26 1QE | 290 m (0.2 miles) | 77 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
| Trenwith, St Ives | TR26 1DD | 350 m (0.2 miles) | 311 (winter) 759 (summer) | 24 hours | 27 May 2026 |
| Barnoon Long Stay, St Ives | TR26 1JF | 480 m (0.3 miles) | 124 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
| Barnoon Reserved, St Ives | TR26 1JD | 510 m (0.3 miles) | 52 | 24 hours | 27 May 2026 |
| Smeatons Pier, St Ives | TR26 1PS | 590 m (0.4 miles) | 31 | 24 hours | 6 August 2026 |
| Porthmeor, St Ives | TR26 1JU | 610 m (0.4 miles) | 30 | 24 hours | 6 August 2026 |
| Wheal Dream, St Ives | TR26 1PR | 750 m (0.5 miles) | 22 | 24 hours | 27 May 2026 |
| Porthgwidden, St Ives | TR26 1PP | 780 m (0.5 miles) | 107 | 24 hours | 27 May 2026 |
| Island, St Ives | TR26 1SY | 800 m (0.5 miles) | 129 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
| Porthrepta, Carbis Bay | TR26 2NZ | 2.1 km (1.3 miles) | 180 | 24 hours | 27 May 2026 |
Getting to St Ives by train
The nearest National Rail stations to the centre of St Ives:
- St Ives station: 200 m (0.1 miles)
- Carbis Bay station: 1.8 km (1.1 miles)
- Lelant station: 4.2 km (2.6 miles)
Straight-line distance, our own calculation from OpenStreetMap station locations (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). It is not a walking or road route. See also beaches you can reach by train.
What’s on in St Ives
For events in and around St Ives, see what’s on in St Ives on our sister site, Share Cornwall.
Other towns nearby
- Hayle: 5.5 km (3.4 miles) (straight line)
- Marazion: 9.5 km (5.9 miles) (straight line)
- Penzance: 10.7 km (6.6 miles) (straight line)
- Camborne: 12.8 km (8.0 miles) (straight line)
Map
Photos
Planning when to go? See Cornwall month by month for daylight, average weather and school holidays.
Sources and checks
- Wikidata: St Ives – CC0
- Cornwall Council car parks – pages checked 1 November 2026
- Cornwall Council: dogs on beaches – last updated 23 October 2026
- Environment Agency bathing water data – Open Government Licence v3.0
- OpenStreetMap: railway stations – ODbL; distances are our own calculation
- National Rail: station information – linked for times and facilities
Last checked: . Published by Oaknest Media. How we check: editorial policy.