Pleasans, Hayle

Hayle is in the far-flung south western corner of Cornwall and sits on an important RSPB wildlife estuary flowing out to the beautiful St Ives Bay, where visitors can enjoy three miles of golden sandy beaches, walks, history and wildlife. Hayle has plenty of activities out of the water too; Paradise Park is a wildlife park, home to some spectacular parrots, otters, and red pandas. Hayle has a range of shops, restaurants and bars scattered around the estuary and harbour area. There are skittles and karting for the family, and for golfers, one of the best links golf courses in Cornwall is at Lelant, a mile out of Hayle. But the jewel of Hayle is the three miles of golden sandy beach, with fantastic surfing at Gwithian where there is a surf shop, lessons and hire of equipment. For the less energetic there are beach cafés where you can take in the views and watch the children play. As Hayle is centrally located you can easily access many other places by either public transport (there is a train station at Hayle) or driving. St. Ives is a short drive away where you can wander through the narrow streets, visit the art galleries, or admire the colourful sub-tropical gardens. St Ives harbour has its own small fishing fleet and there are plentiful boat trips skippered by locals keen to showcase the best that Cornwall has to offer, whether it be seal watching at Seal Island, a couple of hours’ mackerel fishing or a relaxing trip to Godrevy Lighthouse. Within easy reach of Hayle is the Minack Theatre, Falmouth Maritime Museum, Eden Project, St. Michael’s Mount and many other fantastic tourist attractions for dry or wet days.