Cafe and bar with a stupendous view of the beach. Great tapas, hearty lunches and snacks, comprehensive wine list.
Five of us ate for £77 including three bottles of wine.

www.porthmeor-beach.co.uk/cafe/
Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1JZ
01736 793 366
Google map: bit.ly/slWw2m

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Though Virginia Woolf set her famous novel in the Hebrides it was inspired by childhood holidays at St Ives Bay in Cornwall
Pure white sand, hidden rock pools, a wooden cafe serving hot chocolate, and that view to the lighthouse - a timeless stream of consciousness

West of Redruth and the A£) take the road to Hayle, just before take the coast road to the village of Gwithians, signs to Godrevy and the National Trust a mile before the village.
Google map: bit.ly/o8kOqh

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The most spectacular views from any gallery in Great Britain. Northwards from the glazed rotunda over the shimmering sands of Porthmeor beach where über-cool surfers seem to dance on the crashing waves and east across mediterranean blue St Ives Bay to Virginia Woolf’s brilliant white lighthouse at Godrevy. The St Ives school of painters flourished in the mid 20th Century and their life affirming take on modernism reflected the ancient landscape and wild Cornish sea. Afterwards exploring the narrow lanes of the ‘downalong' fishing community of St Ives or walking the coastal path to magical Zennor you will quickly understand why so many creative people have been drawn to this very special place.

Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1TG
+44(0)1736 796226
www.tate.org.uk/stives/
Google map: bit.ly/dOpUpj

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Cornwall is arguably best off-season, and self-catering accommodation is nicer during the odd rainy day. My top tip is to stay slightly out of the town centre (it’s quieter), and the best I’ve found is Four Shores, a Victorian terraced town house, five minutes' walk from the beach. Or ten minutes if you’ve just eaten your second cream tea of the day. Four Shores is one of the most comfortable and best equipped houses I’ve stayed at. There are two double and three single bedrooms, with more showers and WC’s than you can flap a wet towel at. There are quirky details I love: stained glass doors, window seats for people watching, a store room for surf boards and a cute patio. It’s perfect for families and friends, but there is also the chance off-season for couples to enjoy the property at special rates.

01736 798478, fourshores.co.uk

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