Porthminster Beach

The St Ives branch line runs right along the top of this beach — you can watch trains pass from the sand.

Sandy

Seasonal dog restrictions apply

Popular things to do

Kayak and paddleboard sessions – from a seasonal watersports centre at the town end

Coast path walk – east over Porthminster Point to Carbis Bay

Train spotting – St Ives Bay Line trains running along the top of the beach

Swimming – in the calm bay water, between the red and yellow flags

About Porthminster Beach

The St Ives Bay Line runs along the top of Porthminster Beach, and its trains pull into St Ives station on the slope directly above the sand. The branch opened in 1877 as the last new broad-gauge passenger railway built in Britain, and early photographs show the town's seine fishing boats drawn up on Porthminster below the new station. Beneath the line is half a mile of white sand looking east across St Ives Bay to Godrevy Lighthouse. Facing into the bay rather than out to the open Atlantic, Porthminster Beach usually has calm water — the reason St Ives Surf School runs its kayak and paddleboard centre from the town end of the beach.

Who visits

You'll mostly find families and swimmers here, drawn by the calm bay water, along with paddleboarders and kayakers heading out from the watersports centre at the town end of the beach.

Worth knowing

Reaching Porthminster Beach by car in summer takes patience. The closest car park is the council's Station car park, five minutes' walk away, and the beach's own café warns that every car park in St Ives gets very busy through the summer months.

Is Porthminster Beach dog friendly?

Seasonal dog restrictions apply

Dogs are banned from Porthminster Beach 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September

Getting there and parking

Address

Warren, Saint Ives , TR26 2EA

View on map

Parking

St Ives Station Car Park

The Terrace, Carbis Bay, St Ives TR26 2BH

Porthrepta car park

Carbis Bay TR26 2NZ

Getting on to the beach

Easy — about five minutes' walk down from the Station car park and St Ives station

Lessons and tours to book

St Ives Surf School

Outdoor activities company providing bespoke surf lessons and coaching, Paddleboarding tuition, sea kayaking tours and coasteering adventures.

Nearby places to eat and drink

Porthminster Beach Café

Seafood restaurant in a 1930s beach house right on the sand, cooking Cornish catch with Asian influences like Indonesian curry and satay.

Porthminster Kitchen

Small plates built on Cornish produce and global flavours, served from a terrace on Wharf Road looking straight down over St Ives harbour.

Swimming conditions and safety

Water quality

Excellent

Tide and currents

Porthminster Beach has RNLI lifeguards in season and usually calm water, as it faces east into St Ives Bay rather than the open Atlantic; swim between the red and yellow flags while it's patrolled.

Lifeguards

Seasonal lifeguard cover

FAQs about Porthminster Beach

The St Ives Bay Line runs along the top of Porthminster Beach, and its trains pull into St Ives station on the slope directly above the sand.

Partly. Sand chairs supplied by Cornwall Mobility can be borrowed from Porthminster Beach Café for getting across the sand.

Yes. Porthminster Beach holds a Blue Flag for 2026.

Yes. St Ives station, at the end of the St Ives Bay Line, sits on the slope directly above Porthminster Beach, a short walk down to the sand.

Yes. The South West Coast Path climbs east from Porthminster Beach over Porthminster Point and drops down to Carbis Bay, the next beach along.