Artists' harbour town with luminous beaches.
St Ives has drawn artists for its light since the days of Whistler and Sickert, and Tate St Ives sits above Porthmeor beach as the modern anchor of that, with the Barbara Hepworth sculpture garden a short walk away in the old town. Below are white-sand beaches and a working harbour threaded by narrow lanes. The branch line from St Erth is one of the prettiest short rail journeys in the country, running right along the bay into town.
