How to spend an evening in St Ives with kids

During our February Half Term trip to Cornwall this year, so many of you recommended a trip to St Ives so I planned an evening here with the family. Although our visit was short and the weather was very overcast, I am so pleased we made time to pop by as I fell in love with the place. Next time we visit Cornwall I'll be planning an extended stay in this area. I'd love longer to enjoy the beautiful beach, spot seals by the harbour, explore the cobbled streets, independent boutiques and cute restaurants. We spent a couple of hours in St Ives, here's what we got up to.......

Parking can be really tricky in St Ives - we visited on a cloudy February evening, followed the signs for town centre parking and there were plenty of spots but if you are visiting at a peak time, I'd recommend using the park and ride (signposted as you approach). Parking was a couple of pounds and I loved the view from the car park. 

We walked down to the harbour and to the edge of the pier. There are signs dotted about asking you not to feed the seals and they are said to be regular visitors here. We didn't spot any on our visit but it's definitely worth a look. Sadly the tide was completely in during our trip so I've borrowed some photos from a fellow blogger to show you harbour beach in all its glory in the sunshine. Stunning! I bet an evening stroll along the beach during low tide is a lovely way to pass the time.

The walk along the harbour is lovely, there are ice cream and pasty shops and places to stop and watch the world go by. We enjoyed watching the waves crash over the pier and catch unsuspecting passers-by.

St Ives in the sunshine - credit Otis & Us

St Ives in the sunshine - credit Otis & Us 

There are lots of cute pubs dotted about St Ives. We liked the Sloop Inn which was overlooking the harbour and reminded us of somewhere pirates may visit. Despite the gloomy skies, we decided to embrace the Great British Weather and sit in the outdoor beer garden where we enjoyed a nice drink and were joined by some friendly dogs. Here is the perfect spot for people watching and we were wrapped up well so didn't mind the cold too much. 

The streets of St Ives are gorgeous and picture-perfect. Narrow and lined with beautiful independent boutiques, shops, bakers, craft stores, bistros, little bars, galleries and more. I could spend forever browsing and buying lots of treats here and can't wait to return to explore more. 

As we were visiting in the evening (and with kids) we decided to book a trip to the cinema to see Lego Movie 2. This was a highlight of the holiday for Jack. Tickets at the Merlin Cinema are super reasonable and the theatre had a classic old-school charm with a real curtain which is drawn before the movie starts. It was like stepping back in time. You can use Meerkat Movie codes here too so it makes for a cheap night out.

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to places for dining out in St Ives. I deliberated over a few places but in the end, I went with The Mex which is just a couple of doors up from the cinema. The food here was gorgeous and they offer a fab set menu. Kids meals are just £4.95 and include a Mexican mask to design which was a hit with the kids and made a change from the usual activity sheets on offer.

We left St Ives wishing we could spend longer here. There is so much to do in the area and it's a place I'd recommend spending at least one full day and evening. We stayed at Premier Inn Hayle (affiliate link) which is 7 miles away but a lot cheaper than staying in the centre. Rooms are available from just £29. It also offers free parking and is joined onto a pub with a soft play, McDonald's and retail park. 

Would you like to visit St Ives? Find out more about what there is to do in the area here. 

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