St Ives' hilly streets can make flat beach access feel like a puzzle — here's what genuinely works.
The most level access in town, reached via a relatively gentle path from the station car park area rather than steep steps — the best genuine option for a pushchair or wheelchair.
Reasonably flat from the nearby car park, though it can get genuinely crowded with surfers and their gear in peak season.
Porthgwidden and Bamaluz both involve steps or steep paths down — lovely, quieter beaches, but not realistic options if flat access is essential.
Given St Ives' notorious parking pressure, arriving early or using the Park and Ride from Lelant Saltings genuinely matters more here than in most Cornish towns.
Given St Ives' hills, treating Porthminster as the day's main beach rather than trying to see all five reduces the amount of steep walking considerably, and it's the option most worth prioritising anyway.
Porthminster's approach from the main car park and station area is genuinely one of the flattest routes in St Ives, worth using as your reference point when planning the day.
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