Top St Ives Historical Tours

Cornwall’s rugged coastline has shaped St Ives for millennia, transforming it from ancient Celtic settlement, to bustling fishing port, to world-renowned artistic center. On this coastal walking tour, you’ll explore the winding streets and sheltered coves that tell the story of its remarkable transformation. You’ll discover how pilchard fishing once powered the economy, learn about the smuggling networks that flourished along these shores, and understand how the unique Atlantic light drew artists from across the world. The tour starts at St Ives railway station above Porthminster Beach. You’ll weave through ancient lanes too narrow for cars, and past cottages where fishermen once dried their nets on the walls. The tour ends at the iconic Tate St Ives gallery overlooking Porthmeor Beach, where you’ll hear how this fishing town became an artistic colony that transformed British art.