Turquoise water, a harbour full of boats and the clearest light in England. Here is how we would spend a day in St Ives with your dog.
St Ives is the little Cornish town that painters could never leave alone, a tumble of whitewashed cottages around a harbour, ringed by beaches so bright they look Photoshopped. The famous light comes from the sea on three sides, and that same sea gives a dog no end of places to swim. Some of the beaches close to dogs in high summer, but a couple stay open all year, and the coast path is always yours.
A morning on the sand, a boat out to see the seals, a proper Cornish lunch and a harbourside pint is the shape of the perfect day here. This is how we would spend it, with the real, well-reviewed places we would actually take our own dog.
1
Morning: a beach that welcomes dogs all year
Head for Bamaluz, the little beach tucked by the harbour that allows dogs off the lead all year round, a proper suntrap for a morning swim. Porthgwidden, the pretty cove beach beneath the Island, is gorgeous too, though it restricts dogs in the middle of the day in July and August. For a walk with a view, the coast path out to Clodgy Point gives you cliffs, gulls and the whole bay behind you.
Wherever you land, there is sea to fetch sticks from and rock pools to investigate, which is a dog's idea of a five-star morning.
From the harbour, Tiger Lilly runs dog-friendly boat trips out to Seal Island and along the coast, and there are few better ways to spend an hour with a dog leaning happily into the spray. Back on land, the Leach Pottery, Bernard Leach's famous studio, welcomes dogs on a short lead if you fancy a dose of the town's artistic side.
St Ives eats very well. St Eia welcomes dogs in the restaurant and outside, Yallah is a lovely coffee spot that takes dogs inside and at the hatch, and Host keeps an open fire going in winter with dogs welcome. And no Cornish day is complete without a Moomaid of Zennor ice cream, which the well-behaved can enjoy inside.
The Sloop Inn on the harbour front has been pouring pints since the fourteenth century and welcomes dogs in the bar and outside, right where the boats come in. The Pedn Olva sits above Porthminster with a dog-friendly bar section and a beach below. For a proper adventure, walk the coast path out to Zennor and the Tinner's Arms, where muddy boots and paws are always welcome.
To wake up to that light, the Pedn Olva has dog-friendly pet rooms with the beach right below, and the Carbis Bay Estate, just round the headland, offers dog-friendly rooms with its own golden beach on the doorstep. Out at Zennor, the Gurnard's Head welcomes dogs for an overnight stay in one of Cornwall's loveliest coastal inns.
Three beaches, a harbour and a boat full of seals, all under the brightest light in England. St Ives is a very good day to be a dog.
What to pack for a day out
The short list that turns a good day into an easy one. Throw it in the boot before you set off.
Water bottle and collapsible bowl
Towel for the boot
Poo bags, always
Spare lead and a long line
Treats for the pub
ID tag and vaccinations up to date
Questions dog owners ask
Are St Ives beaches dog friendly?
Bamaluz beach by the harbour allows dogs off-lead all year. Porthgwidden, Porthmeor and Carbis Bay restrict dogs in the middle of the day from roughly mid-May to September, so check the seasonal signs before you go.
Can dogs go on the St Ives boat trips?
Yes. Tiger Lilly runs dog-friendly cruises out to Seal Island and along the coast, with dogs welcome on board. Keep them on a lead and bring water for a warm day.
Which St Ives pubs take dogs?
The historic Sloop Inn on the harbour welcomes dogs in the bar and outside, the Pedn Olva has a dog-friendly bar with a beach below, and out at Zennor the Tinner's Arms welcomes muddy paws.
Where can I stay in St Ives with a dog?
The Pedn Olva offers dog-friendly rooms above the beach, the Carbis Bay Estate has dog-friendly rooms with its own beach, and the Gurnard's Head at Zennor is a lovely dog-friendly coastal inn.
What is the best year-round dog walk in St Ives?
Bamaluz beach for an off-lead swim, and the South West Coast Path out to Clodgy Point for a proper cliff walk with big views over the bay, both open all year.
St Ives through the seasons
Spring
The town is quiet, the sea is waking up and the coast path is at its best. Bamaluz is open all year, so start there before the season crowds arrive.
Summer
Several beaches restrict dogs from mid-May to September, so head for Bamaluz, go early, and carry water. Book a seal-spotting boat trip for the middle of a hot day.
Autumn
The surf picks up, the restrictions lift and the light turns golden. Empty beaches and warm afternoons make this arguably the best season for a dog in St Ives.
Winter
Wild Atlantic weather and beaches to yourselves. Wrap up for a coast path walk, then thaw out by the open fire at Host or the Sloop with a salty dog at your feet.