A Walk Through Guide to Porthtowan & Chapel Porth
15th June 2015
Our latest location, Porthtowan on Cornwall’s North Coast, has it all; a long low-tide beach awarded Blue Flag status, playful sand dunes, dramatic cliffs, mining heritage, and an almost wild-west frontier feeling. BBC One ‘Poldark’ fans will recognise it immediately. Just what we like from a beach.
Read our guide to Porthtowan and Chapel Porth to find out more.
Located a few miles south along the coastal path or road from the mining town of St Agnes is this relatively unknown gem. Depending on which way you arrive into the village, Porthtowan can initially seem very low key. It’s all part of this small village’s charm, and it couldn’t be further from the truth once you start exploring.
The village itself has a number of family-suited restaurants, cafés, bars and shops to keep everyone well fed and watered during their stay.
And this is Porthtowan’s big pull. The Blue Flag awarded beach is one of Cornwall’s most popular surfing spots thanks to the direction it faces, the amount of swell it picks up, and good sand banks.
Join the best of them in the waves and visit Falmouth and Porthtowan Surf School, based next to The Unicorn pub, for all of your surf equipment, hire and lessons. For younger children there’s a play park, should they ever get bored of cricket on the beach.
Backed by large dunes and dramatic cliffs, the beach at low-tide reveals a long expanse of golden sand. It’s easy to see why the village lies in a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty.
Walk northwards along the sand and you’ll end up at Chapel Porth – an equally as stunning beach managed by the National Trust.
Image from Visit Cornwall.
No visit here is complete without having a ‘hedgehog’ from the Trust’s café – Cornish vanilla ice cream smothered with farmhouse clotted cream and rolled in their own honey-roasted hazelnuts.
From here it’s time to climb the coastal path back to Porthtowan, passing what remains of the Wheal Charlotte engine house and some of the county’s best mining relics and stunning views out to sea.
Image from Visit Cornwall.
We ended up in the Blue Bar for surf-style pub grub and the best views over the beach for a sundowner. Bliss.
Take a look and book our self-catering properties at Porthtowan online, or talk to a member of our team on 01637 861 005. Keep an eye on our special offers page for the latest deals and discounts, and browse our beach locations to explore more of Cornwall.
