Hayle
Situated amidst St Ives bay's three miles of golden sand, Hayle was originally a major, world renowned engineering centre, an important port during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and for many years was the centre of the copper mining and smelting industry. Hayles technical and engineering excellence attracted Richard Trevithick (inventor of the worlds first steam road car) and Isambard Kingdom Brunel (the great railway engineer).
The estuary of the Hayle is an important habitat for wild fowl, wading birds, and today more visitors are drawn by birdwatching opportunities than the industrial heritage of the town. Wading birds such as dunlins, curlews and grey plovers spend the winter here as do often thousands of migrants, from widgeon, teals and shelducks blown west by cold easterly winds. Little Egret are also resident and you may be lucky to see one.
The long beach at Hayle, literally has something for everyone. It is excellent for swimming, surfing and of course sun bathing. There are many swallow pools for the children to play in and during the evening it transforms into a truly romantic location for that evening stroll.
Hayle is one of only very few sheltered estuaries on Cornwall's north coast. However, the harbour entrance has never been easy and dredging has long been needed to counteract the silting up of the river.
Near Hayle is the Paradise Park, a very enjoyable family day out that houses endangered species of parrots from around the globe, as well as owls, birds of prey, otters, penguins, and more. The park contains a Special Breeds Farm and Cornish Otter Sanctuary, and the indoor Jungle Barn provides a lot of fun for the youngsters.