Holiday-ing in St Ives with a baby

I have been holiday-ing in St Ives, Cornwall since I was 9 years old (24 years!) but my most recent trip was extra special as it was the first time I had taken my 11 week old daughter Malou. As you can imagine packing up the car with not just our stuff but Malou's too bought on a flurry of nostalgia as I was reminded of the most wonderful child hood holidays here. From building sandcastles on the golden sands of Porthminster beach, to looking for crabs along the rockpools at Porthgwiddon and surfing waves at Porthmeor, I was so excited to experience all of this again through a child's eyes. But with Malou being only 12 weeks old I am not sure she would enjoy building sandcastles quite yet , and it was important we adjusted the pace of our adventures whilst we were there.  We had an amazing time and having a baby didn't stop us from doing anything - it just made us do it differently . So if (like us) you are heading to St Ives with a baby - here are a few ideas to keep you busy with your little human whilst you are there - 

• Walk from St Ives to Carbis Bay - It's about 1.5 miles and should take you  roughly half an hour one way. The walk is buggy friendly up until the pedestrian bridge just outside Carbis Bay, so a baby carrier might be best if you have one so you can make it down to Carbis Bay Beach. To get there Start at Porthminster Beach, walk across the back of the beach and follow signs for the the SW Coast passing by Porthminster Beach Cafe.. Keep walking along the coast path taking the short but steep hill to a wider path overlooked by big beautiful houses. When you come to a wooden sign post on your right keep heading straight in front of you keeping the sea on your left where the path will start getting narrower. Keep walking until you meet a small bridge over the railway, go over this and head down to Carbis Bay passing by the hotel and onto the beach.  Treat yourself to a cuppa and piece of cake from the Carbis Bay Deli shop then head back the way you came :) 

 

• If you can't join them watch them. The term ‘baby on board’ doesn’t apply to surfing unfortunately! If (like me) you enjoy catching waves and want to get your surfing fix whilst on holiday with your baby, then your best bet is to enjoy it as a spectator. In my opnion there is no better place to watch the surf than at Porthmeor beach cafe in one of their heated outdoor pods. The best part is the pods have an extended canopy cover that means you can park the buggy just outside the pod keeping it dry (just incase the Cornish heavens open!)

 

• Shop until you drop! Fore Street is the Diagone Ally of Cornwall - full of little local shops selling lots of lovely eco friendly bay clothing and toys .

 

• Dine out. One thing I keep being told is go for dinner whilst your baby is young and they are happy to sleep in the buggy by your side! St Ives is a foodies paradise with so many restaurants to choose from - enjoy (whilst you still can!)

 

• Life's a beach - the beaches in St ives are stunning and very family friendly. There are 6 beaches to choose from so you will never get board of the views. For more information on beaches click here 

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