St Ives carries a reputation as one of Cornwall's pricier towns, and parts of it genuinely are, but a full, satisfying day here on a modest budget is entirely achievable if you lean on the free options.
St Ives Harbour costs nothing to wander, and several of the town's beaches — Porthmeor, Porthgwidden, Bamaluz — are free to enjoy. Bamaluz in particular is quieter and genuinely pleasant for a relaxed free morning.
A short, easy coastal walk to a headland with genuinely excellent views, and it costs nothing — one of the best free things to do in the whole town.
Entry for children is free, and the sculpture garden gives them room to move rather than needing to stay hushed — a genuinely good value stop for a family, with only the adult entry fee to budget for.
St Ives Bakery does a reliable pasty for around £5-6, best bought early before the popular varieties sell out — eating it on the harbour front costs nothing extra.
Ocean Gallery and Blue Harbour Gallery both cost nothing to browse, and continuing to explore the town's beaches for the afternoon adds no further cost at all.
Harbour, beaches, and the Man's Head walk: free. Barbara Hepworth Museum: free for children, modest adult entry. Lunch: roughly £5-6 a head. Galleries: free to browse. For a family of four, a day built around these free options and a pasty lunch genuinely stays close to or under £50, even accounting for St Ives' generally higher prices elsewhere.
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