St Ives Bay (, meaning "Ia's anchorage") is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

coast of north-west

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, England,

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It is in the form of a shallow crescent, some 4 miles or 6 km across, between St Ives in the west and Godrevy Head in the east. At the most southerly point of St Ives Bay, the River Hayle flows into the sea through sand dunes and across the beach. Behind the dunes, the river forms a broad tidal

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

which includes an area of

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...

and a largely disused

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

(see article on the industrial history of

Hayle Hayle (, "estuary") is a port town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the mouth of the Hayle River (which discharges into St Ives Bay) and is approximately northeast of ...

). The estuary is a popular place for

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...

and the

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...

maintains a reserve there. The eastern coast of the bay is a three-mile (5 km) unbroken sandy

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

backed by a substantial system of coastal dunes known as The Towans which stretches from Porth Kidney Sands in the west to Godrevy Head in the east. This stretch of beach is popular for

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

, particularly in the Gwithian area. The western side of the bay is on higher ground and is more densely inhabited with substantial settlements at

Lelant Lelant () or Uny Lelant is a village in the civil parish of St Ives in, west Cornwall, England, UK. It is on the west side of the Hayle Estuary, about southeast of St Ives and one mile (1.6 km) west of Hayle.Ordnance Survey: Landranger ...

, Carbis Bay and St Ives. The western coast of the bay is rockier with several small beaches separated by

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, Jo ...

s. The Stones

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...

lies about one mile north-west of Godrevy Head and presents a hazard to navigation - the

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

on Godrevy Island warns mariners of the danger. Inshore hazards include the strong tidal stream around Godrevy Island and the tidal current at the mouth of the River Hayle.

Transport and access

By rail: The Penzance to Plymouth

Cornish Main Line The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in Cornwall and Devon in the United Kingdom. It runs from Penzance to Plymouth, crossing from Cornwall into Devon over the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. It directly serves Truro, St Austell, Bodmin (by ...

railway passes south of the bay with stations at

St Erth St Erth () is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. St Erth takes its name from Saint Erc, one of the many Irish saints who brought Christianity to Cornwall during the Sub-Roman Britain, Da ...

and

and a branch, the St Ives Bay Line, runs from St Erth to St Ives. By road: The B3301 coast road runs from Godrevy to Hayle behind the dunes, with many points of access to the coast. The A30 trunk road passes south of Hayle. On foot: The

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked Long-distance footpaths in the UK, long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harb ...

follows the coast around St Ives Bay although it makes a detour inland around the Hayle estuary.

Places around St Ives Bay

Towns and villages * Carbis Bay *

Connor Downs Connor Downs () is a village in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, in the civil parish of Gwinear-Gwithian. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) east of Hayle Hayle (, "estuary") is a port town and civil parishes in ...

* Gwithian *

* Phillack *

* St Ives Rivers * The Red River * River Hayle Other features * Hayle Towans * Godrevy Head * Godrevy Lighthouse * Hayle estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest

References

{{coord, 50, 13, N, 5, 26, W, type:waterbody_region:GB, display=title Bays of Cornwall Surfing locations in Cornwall