Self-catering in St Ives

Eating in

But with a kitchen area fitted out with ultra-modern appliances and cupboards packed with every imaginable culinary gadget and gizmo, our plans changed (yet again) and we spent several nights eating in. It might take a bit of finding first time round, but persevere and you'll eventually come across Stevens fishmonger near the corner of Fish Street and Back Road East. With a gleaming counter spread with the catch of the day it's worth going early to get the best choice for your fish supper.

For other bits and pieces there are some great delicatessens and traditional fruit and veg shops where nothing is shrink-wrapped and brown paper bags are the norm. After dinner we cosied up in the contemporary living area showcasing work by a local artist and photographer, a prelude to the working artists' studios that will open on the Sail Lofts site this summer.

Exploring the area

Our days soon took on a leisurely routine with a bracing pre-breakfast walk along sweeping Porthminster, or one the other beaches, bringing us into nodding acquaintance with the early-morning dog walkers who take to the sands before the super cool surf dudes.

Next day we worked up an appetite by heading over the grassy hill across the road from Sail Lofts, once the site of a coastal fort. Depending what time of year you visit you might be lucky enough to spots seals and dolphins.

A short walk away is Tate St Ives, one of only two Tate galleries outside London and testimony to the town's long associations with art. Fittingly, it specialises in contemporary art, much of it Cornwall based. Another cultural highlight is the Tate-run Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, where the sculptor lived and worked until her death in 1975.

For obvious reasons, many people are drawn to St Ives in the summer but if you don't mind going with the flow weather-wise, it's a wonderful year-round spot. Out of season, when the Atlantic wind blows across the north Cornish coast and the waves break on to uncrowded beaches, it's an atmospheric destination and easy to see why it's so beloved of painters and authors.

So if you want to self-cater in style in a classic British seaside destination then point your compass in the direction of Sail Lofts and leave your footprints on the sand.

Need to know

Sail Lofts apartments are open year-round and in addition to week-long stays short breaks are sometimes available outside the peak season. Accommodation in one-bedroom apartments starts from £299 per week and the three-bedroom Slipway apartment, which has a large balcony, starts from £1,032 per week. Prices include a welcome hamper containing items such as hand made soaps, fresh bread, local cheese, tea, coffee, sugar and milk and a local paper.
T: 01736 799175.
www.thesaillofts.co.uk

For more information on Cornwall visit www.visitcornwall.com

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