For a luxury holiday cottage in St Ives, look no further. Award winning flora and fauna, spectacular white sand beaches and fresh seafood restaurants overlooking the water, it is no surprise that St Ives has been voted Best Seaside Town by both the British Travel Awards and the Guardian. Start the holiday as you mean to go on and arrive by rail, there is no better way to make an entrance and find out why people fall in love with this quaint Cornish town. Famous for its cobbled streets and cute colourful cottages, St Ives luxury accommodation is centred around a bustling harbour. Vibrant in the Summer and magical in the Winter, it is the perfect bolthole for a romantic break or luxury family getaway in Cornwall.

Fresh seafood is the order of the day and with so many places to dine you are spoiled for choice! For the best seafood head to the luxurious Porthminster Beach Café: tapas, steaks, fresh fish from the harbour and a selection of Cornish cheeses with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a view unlike any other, kick your feet back and chill out next to the sand.

Special occasion? Head to Alba on the harbour front and indulge in the tasting menu – a four course dinner accompanied with bubbly, the perfect indulgence! Fancy something simple? Head to Blas Burgerworks: these are the best burgers in town, made with the finest local meats (we can’t decide between the Smokey and the Cornish Blue Cheese). Fabulous food right on the doorstep of your luxury cottage in St Ives.

The Porthminster Beach Café is perhaps the most famous restaurant in St Ives and the perfect place for a pre-dinner aperitif – whatever tickles your palate, from a Sipsmith Orange Martini, a serious red wine or a bottle of bubbly if you’re celebrating (you are in St Ives after all), your trip isn’t complete without a visit to the Porthminster – mark our words.

Fancy a night enjoying your boutique accommodation and curling up together? Head to Scarlet Wines – a local wine shop and delicatessen in Lelant, near St Ives. Pick up a few bottles of something special and head back for some quality time lazing in front of the fire listening to the sound of the seagulls. When talking tipples we can’t miss out the most important drink of the day – for a classic cup of tea or the perfectly brewed coffee, head to the Vintage Store Coffee Shop along the harbour front. Everything you see is for sale from the table and chairs to the art on the wall – you really can take a piece of St Ives home and the coffee is pretty good too!

We can’t mention St Ives without talking about the Tate. Tate St Ives has been showcasing modern and contemporary art for over 20 years with an imperial position overlooking Porthmeor Beach. St Ives is renowned for its thriving art scene and has been home to some fantastic artists in the 1960s including Piet Mondrian and Barbara Hepworth whose studio in St Ives has now become the Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden. St Ives is adorned with art galleries and installations with many artists still residing in the town.

Visitors not only flock to St Ives for the art but also for the beaches. With clean white sands and its lovely mild climate, St Ives is a serious rival for Sardinia. Try your hand at surfing on Porthmeor, sunbathe on sandy Porthgwidden or enjoy a leisurely lunch at Porthminster followed by a scenic cliffside stroll to nearby Carbis Bay. There are also sub-tropical gardens, golf courses, boutique day spas and unique gift shops nestled in the centre, this is luxury self catering St Ives at its finest.