Things to do in November in St Ives

Hélène Chaussavoine

The summer is now behind us but the sun is still shining and we are now preparing ourselves for the best time of the year, Christmas! However, if you are thinking about going away before the Christmas festivities and are looking for some quality time with your family or just by yourself, St Ives is the perfect destination.

We have gathered a few things to do for you in November in St Ives:

Dog Friendly Accommodation

This is now the best time of the year for your four-legged friend as all the beaches are now dog-friendly. St Ives offers a variety of beaches to take your best friend for a walk. A few steps away from your five star self catering accomodation is the well-known Porthmeor Beach where you can watch the sunset whilst enjoying some mouth-watering tapas from the Porthmeor Beach Cafe. If you are heading towards the other side of town to admire the wonderful Cornish coastline, Porthminster Beach is a lovely place to stop by for your dog to have a stretch. Another little cove to look out for is Bamaluz Beach, only a five minutes walk from your self-catering accomodation in Cornwall.

5th November - Guy Fawkes Night

Porthminster Beach hosts the most amazing fireworks on 5th November so grab up your best coat and a warming drink to enjoy a fantastic firework display.

Tate Gallery

After a recent refurbishment, the gallery has re-opened their doors earlier this year with a variety of exhibitions. The Tate is currently showing the work of combined films made by Rosalind Nashashibi and Lucy Skaer with their personal selection of historic and contemporary art. Don't forget to pop in our office to collect your free admission in to the gallery plus 10% discount from the Tate shop and Cafe bar.

Experience Local Life

With the summer now out of the way, it is the best time of the year to connect with the locals and discover what life is like the Cornish way. There are no friendlier people on earth to talk you through their history and their culture and they may even share with you their secret places to discover in Cornwall.

St Ives Farmers Market

Every Thursday, this wonderful market opens their doors to reveal a fantastic variety of fresh locally produced high-quality food from Cornish suppliers. The market runs every Thursday throughout the year at The Guildhall, Street an Pol, St Ives. It’s in the town centre, next door to the Visitor Information Centre and is open from 9am to 2pm.

Storyteller St Ives

The knowledgable Shanty Baba offers a variety of story walks throughout the winter months to entertain the whole family. Between the St Ives Pirate Walk, The Lantern Ghost Story or the St Ives Storywalk, choose your favourite and immerse yourself in to the wonderful world of storytelling to celebrate the halloween season!

Feast & Flames - Leach Pottery

This famous institution founded by the acclaimed potter Bernard Leach hosts a wonderful event on Friday 2nd November to enjoy food, music and art all combined. This raku and decorating event will introduce you to the pleasure of creating your own piece of art by decorating it with the artists and firing it on site. This event was very popular last year so we would recommend you to book in advance.

It already feels Christmassy

Let's be honest, everyone is already thinking about Christmas and St Ives is no exception! Enjoy roaming the streets and absorb the Christmas atmosphere slowly taking place in town with all the shops preparing themselves for the season. The Guildhall opens the festivities with an Artisan Christmas Delight Event on 16th November and the Etsy Art Fair taking place on Friday 29th November.

There are plenty of different ways to take advantage of the quieter time in St Ives and start feeling Christmassy so why not stay for a winter retreat in St Ives ? November is the perfect time to enjoy the early Christmas events happening in town and trying out the seasonal menus local restaurants have to offer.