Located where the Hayle River flows into St. Ives Bay, Hayle is a charming port town on the coast of Cornwall. It was established during the 18th-century industrial revolution for the shipping of mining materials and once produced beam engines that were exported around the globe.
Things to do in Hayle
Learn about the people, events and industries that have impacted the town at the Hayle Heritage Centre, which occupies the historic site of Harvey’s Foundry. Its permanent exhibition includes artefacts related to the Hayle Power Station, the Dynamite Works and the Cornish Copper Company, as well as the region’s maritime and wartime history. To hear first-hand accounts of life in Hayle, don’t miss the museum’s oral history collection.
Travelling with kids? They’ll love spending a day at Paradise Park, a wildlife sanctuary home to more than 1,000 birds and animals from around the globe. Learn about the park’s breeding of red pandas and coincide your visit with the daily penguin feeding or watch eagles soaring high above during the free-flying bird show.
For a day on the sand, head to Hayle Towans Beach, a golden expanse popular with sand yachts and kite buggies. At the mouth of the Hayle Estuary is the picturesque Porthkidney Beach, which offers sweeping views across St. Ives Bay. Rising atop a rocky islet at the bay’s northeastern tip is the octagonal Godrevy Lighthouse, which has been guiding ships along the coast since the 19th century.
Getting around Hayle
Land's End Airport is a 30-minute drive from Hayle and has flights to the Isles of Scilly. The much larger Exeter Airport is around two hours away. Trains connect from London and Manchester to the Hayle railway station and the town is small enough to explore on foot.