Porthmeor Beach

Porthmeor lies on the northern, Atlantic-facing edge of St Ives, a clean sweep of pale sand set right against the town and watched over by the Tate St Ives gallery on the slope above. That combination of surf, sand and an artistic backdrop gives the beach a character quite unlike anywhere else in Cornwall.

The art is no accident. St Ives has drawn painters and sculptors for well over a century, captivated by the extraordinary quality of the light reflecting off the bay, and the Tate opened here in 1993 to celebrate that tradition; its top-floor café looks straight out over the breakers. Below, the beach earns its reputation as the town’s premier surf spot, with a surf school on the sand and conditions that suit beginners on calmer days and more confident surfers when the swell builds.