St Ives has been on my holiday bucket list for a while. I’ve heard about how its turquoise, clear waters and golden sandy beaches could rival a tropical beach. Well, I’ve been there, seen it for myself, and I can confirm the rumours are true. St Ives does deliver, and it’s the only place I’ve been in the UK where I actually felt like I could be abroad. 

One of the main reasons I’ve not been before is because I assumed that in the madness of the summer holidays, it would be far too busy. I like peace and quiet! Then I realised that perhaps I should visit in the off-season. So we booked a trip to St Ives in winter. In December, to be exact. And it was absolutely perfect. It felt like a sleepy fishing village with the locals bustling about and going about their daily routine. 

Now, you might assume that if you go to a UK beach resort in December, everything would be shut, and there wouldn’t be much to do. Wrong! St Ives is very much open, its beating heart still thriving thanks to the wonderful variety of cafes, restaurants and local shops. 

We were still able to enjoy the stunning views and spend time on the beach. The kids were barefoot in the sand, having the time of their life, even in the cold. There’s also something quite enchanting about the seaside in winter when the waves are a bit wilder, and the coast has a dark, stormy feel to it. 

The Content Wolf Travel Rating Score 55/60

• Service – 10
• Uniqueness – 10
• Location – 10
• Comfort – 9
• Cleanliness – 10
• Facilities – 10

St Ives Holiday Cottage With A Breathtaking Sea View

Cornish Secrets – Luxury Cornwall holiday rentals

For this holiday, my husband and I were adamant we wanted a sea view. Not just a distant glimpse of some water on the horizon, no. A jaw-dropping, soul-soothing, full sea view. We searched far and wide for the perfect place. A place that we knew would offer some sea view magic in a convenient location, and we found just the place via Cornish Secrets. I really liked the quality of options they had on their website. There were several amazing places we were considering, but Porthminster Mews 2 ticked all our boxes.

Now, I’ve dealt with a lot of holiday companies and property owners, and I have to say, Cornish Secrets were excellent. They were friendly, responsive and helpful and I really trusted them with our holiday. They included a welcome hamper packed with local goodies (biscuits, tea, coffee and prosecco) which was a thoughtful touch. It makes your arrival that bit more exciting.

Porthminster Mews 2 – St Ives Holiday Accommodation

It’s official: Porthminster Mews is officially my new favourite holiday place (in the UK) so far. Why? Soo many reasons. It would be top of the list just for the view alone. But this modern townhouse is wonderful in so many ways. It’s ideally located, yet still lovely and quiet. It’s got everything you need for a comfortable stay with a surprisingly big kitchen with a handy kitchen island. You can cook a lovely homemade meal whilst gazing out toward the sea. 

The main bedroom is extremely large with a huge, comfortable bed. We slept so well here. I’m not sure if it was the sounds of the sea soothing us or the comfy, relaxing bed. You get to enjoy a sea view from the lounge and also the master bedroom too. 

The kid’s room was right next door to us, which is always helpful and less of a worry. Plus, they had their own en suite, as did we. There are three toilets in total so there’s no waiting for the loo if you’ve got a big family. The upside-down layout was quite fun, and there was a stair gate to keep the kids off the stairs. 

We also enjoyed the open-plan kitchen and lounge and enjoyed numerous nights sitting on the sofa watching the waves ripple onto the shore. The colour of the sand and sea is so pretty, I was completely mesmerised. When we came to leave, it was really difficult to tear ourselves away from the view. 

I had to run back upstairs again to get one last glimpse before we headed home. There are two, two seater sofas in the lounge which can comfortably seat four people and they’ve also got a large TV. As we visited right before Christmas, the Christmas tree in the lounge was very much appreciated. All in all, everything was spot on. I literally can’t fault anything. 

Location

I don’t think location-wise you can get much better than this. You’re a ten minute walk from town. The beach is literally right below the holiday cottage. You can hop over to the sandy shores in 5/10 minutes. I don’t think I’d want to stay where all the shops and restaurants are. A lot of the holiday cottages are very small and cosy and the roads are really narrow and tight to get down. Here you’ve got the best of both worlds. You’re close enough to stroll into town to go for lunch or dinner, but you’re not right in the busy part where I suspect it would get noisy in high season.

Facilities

Is there anything better than having access to a spa right in front of your holiday home? I don’t think so. With Porthminster Mews 2, you get spa passes to The Harbour Hotel spa. Now, I’m a fussy spa customer. It takes quite a lot for a spa to hit all my criteria, and I absolutely loved The Harbour Hotel Spa. 

Panoramic sea views? Check. Pristine facilities? Check. Not too busy? Check. There’s a lovely warm pool which is long enough to do some decent lengths in. The jacuzzi is actually hot (no one likes a lukewarm jacuzzi) and has decent jets. Plus, they’ve got a steam room and spacious sauna. You can enjoy some cold water therapy by taking an ice-cold shower, or alternatively, just head outside to the terrace area to cool off. I booked a massage during our stay, and it was incredible. I’ve finally found a masseuse who actually does a nice, firm massage. 

I really enjoyed being able to wander across the road for a relaxing spa session. It really did make our stay so much more special. 

The holiday home also comes with a parking space right in the centre of St Ives (a ten-minute walk from the shops and restaurants), which is really rare. And let me tell you, parking in St Ives is a nightmare. We tried to drive into town one evening because the kids were tired from walking, and we didn’t manage to find a space. And that was in the middle of winter. 

Things to do

Normally, when I’m on holiday, I like to head out to explore different attractions nearby. But whilst staying in St Ives, all we wanted to do was, well, stay in St Ives. It’s as though you’re in a wonderful holiday bubble where you can enjoy lazy days and mooch around the shops and cafes. It was so relaxing!

If you want to head out and see the rest of Cornwall, there’s plenty to do nearby. However, we felt like we wanted to enjoy the beaches here and take advantage of the fact that the town is within walking distance. There’s also the Tate Museum, which is an absolute must-visit. 

There’s a small train station just below the house, with trains coming every 30 minutes. You can easily hop on and head to the picturesque Carbis Bay if you fancy visiting an alternative beach hotspot. Want to spot some seals? Book a boat trip to Seal Island. However, we managed to see the seals for free by driving around the corner to Mutton Cove at Godrevy Point. If you time your visit right, you can spot some seals resting on the shore. 

There are some fantastic cafes, bakeries and restaurants in St Ives. From local chocolate shops to decent-quality souvenir shops and boutique jewellery stores, you can easily spend a whole afternoon shop-hopping. 

A new pizza restaurant called Onzo has opened up right on the harbourfront. The Hawaiin pizza was incredible, and if you sit upstairs, you can enjoy scenic views whilst you tuck into a slice of pizza heaven. 

On Porthminster Beach, there’s a charming cafe (Porthminster Beach Cafe) offering sweeping sea views. However, our favourite cafe was The Cornish Deli. I had an incredible Christmas dinner sandwich (complete with roasties and pigs in blankets), and my husband had a brisket brunch dish. We ended up going back there twice! Fan of decent coffee and cinnamon buns? Pop into Yallah Cafe, they do epic, freshly baked cinnamon buns. 

Another benefit of staying at Porthminster Mews 2 is you get 20% off food at The Harbour Hotel. And I know I keep banging on about the views from different restaurants, but the restaurant here boasts perhaps the best views in the whole town. We enjoyed a comforting early evening Sunday roast and it was wonderful. 

So yeah, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be heading back to St Ives very soon. I think I’ve found my new happy place. I’m looking forward to our next stay with Cornish Secrets, which will most likely be a return visit to Porthminster Mews 2. However, they do have an exquisite portfolio of properties, and I’m tempted by some of these enticing Padstow properties. Watch this space!

#discounted stay