St Ives Holiday-Makers Get Set for Indian Summer Festivities

Those looking for a late season holiday in St Ives will not be disappointed. After the mad rush of the school summer holidays, St Ives returns to a more leisurely pace of life in September. But the calm weather and long sunny days can sometimes last long into October when the Cornwall resort  basks in the warmth of an ‘Indian Summer’. As well as the promise of pre-autumn serenity, there’s still plenty going on to keep visitors occupied and entertained.

St Ives September Festival

One of the highlights of the St Ives social calendar is the September Festival of art, music and culture. Each year hundreds of artists and performers from all over the UK descend on the town for a series of concerts, comedy gigs, art workshops and street performances at a mix of different venues.

If the Indian Summer delivers fine weather to St Ives, the streets come alive with locals and tourists mingling as they wander from one event to another enjoying impromptu open-air acts from street theatre groups, jugglers, comedians and musicians.

One of the key event venues for the September Festival is the Guildhall, which this year will welcome renowned musical acts such as Seth Lakeman, Fisherman’s Friends, The South (featuring members of the Beautiful South) and Hawkwind.

The September Festival is all about diversity. And alongside the musical highlights at this St Ives venue will be the Miracle Theatre’s magical reworking of Shakespeare play The Tempest. Plus there will be a chance to catch the rising comedic talent of Kernow King - who will be delivering his Cornish brand of humour to the Guildhall stage during the festival.

If there’s one thing that St Ives is famous for it is art and there are plenty of workshops, courses and lectures to enjoy during the festival. Most of the town’s galleries and art schools will be putting on events, which will range from life drawing classes to printmaking, and landscape art to drawing with an iPad.

Out and about in St Ives, visitors can drop in on pop-up performances such as Music & Poetry in Norway Square. Other can join guided walks of exploring the unique features of St Ives and the town’s heritage. Or they could test their sand-sculpting skills in the architectural sandcastle competition on Porthmeor Beach.

There is truly for something for everyone during the St Ives September Festival. For a full programme of events visit the festival website at stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk

Surf’s Up in St Ives in September

While many people will be entranced by the plethora of art, music and culture filling the town in September, holidaymakers should also find time to explore the beaches and the phenomenal activities and watersports available in and around St Ives. Chief among these is surfing which can be enjoyed in the heart of St Ives at Porthmeor Beach.

September is the perfect time to experience surfing or learn to surf for the first time. The water temperature is usually at it’s warmest at this time of year, as the sea has been warmed by the sun all summer long, plus the first of the autumn swells start rolling into shore producing optimum wave riding conditions. And if the Indian Summer takes hold the surf scene in St Ives in September can feel more Californian than British.

Surf lessons for all abilities are available from St Ives Surf School. Other ways to explore and enjoy the pristine waters of St Ives Bay are on a kayak or stand up paddle board tour, also offered by St Ives Surf School. Meanwhile, holidaymakers with sea legs can take a tour along the coast or a fishing trip from St Ives harbour with one of the boat trip operators such as St Ives Boats.

Early Autumn is Prime Time to Explore the Coast

Holidaymakers wishing to go at their own pace should take a stroll out of town to explore one of Cornwall’s most beautiful stretches of coast. The South West Coast Path runs straight through St Ives, and it’s only a ten minute walk in either direction to reach some secluded beaches, quiet coves and high cliffs with far reaching sea views.

The walk east leads to the golden sands of Porthminster Beach and Carbis Bay which offer laid-back alternatives to the popular beaches in the town. The walk south along the coast from St Ives leads to even quieter shores where the rugged scenery is breathtaking. Local walking suggestions can be found on the South West Coast Path website.

Sample the St Ives Indian Summer

September is a beautiful time to visit St Ives. With the September Festival, loads to see and do in the town or on the water and the prospect of an Indian Summer, St Ives promises a magical setting for late season getaway. For holidays in St Ives see the stunning range of luxury self-catering accommodation available at www.carbisbayholidays.co.uk

St Ives Holiday Resort Strong Start for Spring

We're pleased to report that our holiday accommodation bookings in St Ives are strong this spring, which is great news following a particularly long and stormy winter. Here's a little press release we put out on our exciting success in providing fantastic holiday accommodation for holidaymakers in St Ives.

After surviving the worst winter storms in a generation, businesses in St Ives in Cornwall are busy preparing for the Spring season and a busy Easter holiday. One such business is Carbis Bay Holidays which has expanded from nearby Carbis Bay to offer a growing number of holiday properties in St Ives.

The holiday accommodation provider reports that St Ives is well and truly #openforbusiness, with strong bookings for 2014 at the 50 or so self-catering cottages, houses and apartments it represents in the town.

Although the winter storms caused some damage along the beaches in St Ives, the properties managed by Carbis Bay Holidays were unscathed. The company says holidaymakers should expect the same excellent standards and superb tourism facilities for which St Ives is known and loved.

Amanda O’Toole from Carbis Bay Holidays said: “VisitCornwall has done an excellent job with its #openforbusiness campaign to reassure people travelling to Cornwall that they can still enjoy excellent holidays. It seems like this message has worked as bookings for accommodation in St Ives are looking very good for Easter and beyond.”

This is great news for the company which entered the highly competitive St Ives holiday market, after gaining success and a loyal following for its property portfolio in nearby Carbis Bay.

Carbis Bay Holidays was established in 2000 and built up a solid reputation by marketing only a handful of very local superior seaside properties. Over the years, the company has built on this early success by only taking on a hand-picked selection of high-end properties throughout the St Ives and Carbis Bay area.

The company now represents 130 properties in total, well over a third of which are based in St Ives.

Amanda O’Toole commented: “St Ives was a natural progression for us. We’re only next door, so we know the town extremely well and are able to service the properties to the same high standards. Many guests who stay with us in Carbis Bay, love to experience everything that St Ives has to offer - and vice versa. So we knew there would be strong demand from our customers.

“St Ives is a superb tourist destination - it’s beautiful, culturally rich and vibrant. It’s good to see it thriving as a holiday resort, despite what Mother Nature threw at it earlier this year.”

* Carbis Bay Holidays welcomes the opportunity to talk to quality holiday accommodation owners in St Ives about how they can maximise their rental return. Please contact Operations Director Richard Brindley on 01736 630015 to arrange a visit. Or see www.carbisbayholidays.co.uk for more information.

Happy Valentine's Day from Carbis Bay Holidays in St Ives

As it’s Valentine’s Day we wanted to share with you our love of St Ives.  We carried out a quick survey of some of the Carbis Bay Holidays team, to see what they love best about our lovely quirky fishing village.

Posh Fish & Chips by Sunset

On a fine summer evening my husband and I love taking our Patterdale terrier ‘Jet’ for a walk around the Island, stopping off at Harbour Fish & Chips on the way. Their fish and chips are truly scrumptious, especially the sprinkling of crunchy sweet potato on top. The Island offers stunning 360 degree views, taking in so many different aspects of the town and bay. We finally make our way around to our little bench which is perfectly positioned overlooking Porthmeor beach and enjoy our alfresco dinner with what we think is the best sunset in the world.
Tamsin, Marketing

The Breathtaking Beauty

Even though I have lived here half of my life I still cannot believe how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place.  The walk from Carbis Bay where I live to St Ives is like a mini holiday to me and as soon as I reach closer to St Ives I look over the wall to survey the beauty and the light – it still always takes my breath away!
Natalie, Property

 
Carbis Bay Holidays offer a wide selection of holiday properties suitable for a romantic break any time of the year.  From cosy hideaways for couples to holiday homes with hot tubs, we are sure you will love St Ives and return again and again.

What do you love most about St Ives?