Carbis Bay

Carbis Bay sits on the coast road between St Ives and Hayle, centred on a 500-metre arc of pale sand that faces north across St Ives Bay. The beach earned Blue Flag status and is sheltered enough for swimming most of the year. A rail halt on the St Ives Bay Line connects the village to St Erth in 12 minutes, where mainline trains run to London Paddington. The Carbis Bay Hotel, which hosted the 2021 G7 summit, occupies the headland above the beach and operates a spa, restaurant, and cinema.

The village has a small cluster of shops, a post office, and several cafes along the main road. Most visitors come for the beach itself or use Carbis Bay as a quieter base for exploring St Ives, which is a 25-minute walk along the coast path or one stop on the branch line. The South West Coast Path runs directly through the village, making it a natural staging point for walks in either direction - west towards Lelant and the Hayle Estuary RSPB reserve, or east along the cliffs to St Ives harbour.

For families, the beach has seasonal lifeguard cover, a beachside cafe, and water shallow enough for paddling. Surfboards and bodyboards can be hired in summer. The surrounding area offers easy access to Gwithian Towans for bigger surf, and the open-air Minack Theatre at Porthcurno is about 15 miles southwest.

Where to Stay

For groups of eight, Fairsky is a penthouse apartment sleeping 8 across 4 bedrooms with sea views from 2 of them and a balcony off the kitchen - Carbis Bay beach is 300m down the road. Couples looking for sea views have two strong options on the same Victorian terrace: 4 St Gwithian is a 2-bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking St Ives Bay and direct access to the South West Coast Path from the garden, while 5 St Gwithian is a one-bedroom penthouse with a roll-top bath positioned beneath a sea-view window. Crystal View, Compass Point is a 2-bedroom apartment 400m from the beach, rated 4.8/5 from 1,417 reviews, with two bathrooms for four guests. Other options nearby include Godrevy Watch, a dog-friendly 2-bedroom cottage with a private walled patio, 500m from the beach and up to 2 dogs welcome.