Family Days Out Near Hayle and St Ives

St Ives Bay has a genuinely good spread of family friendly attractions within a short drive of each other, from wildlife parks and boat trips to museums, mini golf and a few free options that will not cost you a penny. Here is our proper, honest list.

Paradise Park, Hayle

About five miles from St Ives, Paradise Park is a day out on its own. It is a wildlife sanctuary set in subtropical gardens, home to more than a thousand birds across well over a hundred species, Humboldt penguins, Caribbean flamingos, macaws, bald eagles and red pandas among them, alongside otters and a fun farm with miniature donkeys the little ones will love. Keeper talks and feeding sessions run throughout the day, there is a jungle themed train ride for younger children, and the whole park is set up for a proper unhurried wander rather than a rushed tick list. Attached to the park is JungleBarn, an indoor play centre with giant slides and a dedicated toddler zone, which makes Paradise Park one of the few attractions in the area that works just as well on a wet day as a sunny one. Parking is free.

Seal spotting and boat trips

St Ives harbour runs regular boat trips out to Seal Island, an hour long sea safari that most children find genuinely thrilling, and there are shorter, faster options too if attention spans are limited. If you would rather stay on land, head to Godrevy at the far end of the bay, where a colony of grey seals hauls out on the rocks at Mutton Cove, easily watched from the coast path without needing a boat at all. Either way, it is one of the more memorable things you can do with children here, and free if you take the land route.

Rock pooling at low tide

Some of the best entertainment in St Ives Bay costs nothing at all. Gwithian Towans and Hayle Towans both have excellent rock pools at low tide, crabs, anemones and the occasional small fish to spot with a net and bucket, and the sheer amount of space means children can explore without constantly bumping into other families. Carbis Bay's sheltered, gentle water is another good option for younger children who want to paddle without being knocked over by proper Atlantic surf. Check tide times before you go, a falling tide gives you the longest window to explore.

Mini golf at Porthminster

Porthminster Beach in St Ives has an 18 hole mini golf course right on the sand, with views across the bay while you play, a nice half hour filler between a beach session and lunch, and one of those simple things that somehow never gets old for children.

Sand yachting and kite buggying at Hayle Towans

For something a bit different, the wide, flat expanse of Hayle Towans is used for sand yachting and kite buggy racing, and lessons are available locally for older children and teenagers who fancy trying something they cannot do at home. It makes for a genuinely memorable afternoon if the wind is right.

Museums and galleries built for exploring

Do not assume a major art gallery is only for adults. Tate St Ives runs family activities and trails during school holidays that get children looking properly at the art and the building itself, which sits right above Porthmeor Beach with views to match. The Barbara Hepworth Museum, tucked away nearby, has a genuinely peaceful sculpture garden that children tend to enjoy exploring even if the art itself does not immediately grab them. St Ives Museum, open April to October, is small, characterful and has an activity sheet with hidden cat figurines to find, a nice way to hold a younger child's attention while the grown ups read the exhibits. Over in Hayle, the Heritage Centre tells the story of the town's mining and engineering past in a building worth seeing in its own right, and the Millponds Gardens next to the old foundry have a play area if energy needs burning off afterwards.

A wildlife walk at Upton Towans

If your children are into bugs and butterflies, Upton Towans nature reserve between Hayle and Gwithian is a genuinely good, free option, home to the rare silver studded blue butterfly among other dune wildlife, with easy paths and the atmospheric, overgrown remains of an old Victorian dynamite works to explore as you go. Best for butterfly spotting in June, but interesting year round.

St Ives Leisure Centre

For a proper rainy afternoon, the leisure centre's swimming pool is a reliable option that does not depend on the weather cooperating, and it is a good way to burn off energy that a car journey has built up.

The Hayle Estuary path

For families with younger children who need somewhere flat and safe to cycle or scoot, the path along the Hayle estuary is well worth knowing about, level, largely traffic free, and with proper views across the water and a good chance of spotting some of the three hundred or so bird species recorded here. Pack a picnic and make a slow afternoon of it.

Putting it all together

Between a wildlife park, seals, a proper choice of beaches, museums built for exploring, mini golf, sand yachting and a flat safe path for little legs, St Ives Bay genuinely has enough to fill a fortnight without repeating yourself, whatever the weather throws at you.

If you are planning a family trip, take a look at our properties across the bay, many are set up with families in mind, and our team is always happy to suggest the best base for whatever your children are into.