The Location

Porthcothan Bay

Porthcothan Bay is a small village on the North Cornwall Coast, between Newquay and Padstow.

To the north and south are some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline to be found anywhere in the world.

Porthcothan beach is a large north west-facing cove backed by grassy dunes popular for sunbathing and easy surfing.

The sandy beach opens out at low tide, connecting up with small coves to the north and south and at high tide the beach becomes very sheltered from swell and winds due to the cliffs.

Despite being lesser known than other beaches in the area Porthcothan was included in the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide for 2014 and with excelent water quality, tested regularly, Porthcothan has recently appeared on the list of Marine Conservation Society Recommended beaches.

Lifeguards patrol this beach from late May until the end of September. Lifeguard cover can be checked on www.beachlifeguards.org.uk

Porthcothan is a dog friendly beach, with no seasonal dog ban but please keep your dog under control and clean up mess immediately.

For more information on the local area and specific attractions, search our blog.

Porthcothan Bay is a small village on the North Cornwall Coast, between Newquay and Padstow.

To the north and south are some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline to be found anywhere in the world.

Porthcothan beach is a large north west-facing cove backed by grassy dunes popular for sunbathing and easy surfing.

The sandy beach opens out at low tide, connecting up with small coves to the north and south and at high tide the beach becomes very sheltered from swell and winds due to the cliffs.

Despite being lesser known than other beaches in the area Porthcothan was included in the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide for 2014 and with excelent water quality, tested regularly, Porthcothan has recently appeared on the list of Marine Conservation Society Recommended beaches.

Lifeguards patrol this beach from late May until the end of September. Lifeguard cover can be checked on www.beachlifeguards.org.uk

Porthcothan is a dog friendly beach, with no seasonal dog ban but please keep your dog under control and clean up mess immediately.

For more information on the local area and specific attractions, search our blog.

Porthcothan Bay is a small village on the North Cornwall Coast, between Newquay and Padstow.

The Beach

To the north and south are some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline to be found anywhere in the world.

Porthcothan beach is a large north west-facing cove backed by grassy dunes popular for sunbathing and easy surfing.

The sandy beach opens out at low tide, connecting up with small coves to the north and south and at high tide the beach becomes very sheltered from swell and winds due to the cliffs.

Despite being lesser known than other beaches in the area Porthcothan was included in the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide for 2014 and with excelent water quality, tested regularly, Porthcothan has recently appeared on the list of Marine Conservation Society Recommended beaches.

The Beach - from beach

Lifeguards patrol this beach from late May until the end of September. Lifeguard cover can be checked on www.beachlifeguards.org.uk

Porthcothan is a dog friendly beach, with no seasonal dog ban but please keep your dog under control and clean up mess immediately.

For more information on the local area and specific attractions, search our blog.

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7 Bays for 7 Days

Porthcothan Bay is the southern-most of the 7 bays – a series of beaches to the west of Padstow, each offering something slightly different to visitors keen to explore the ‘7 bays for 7 days’.

The beach has a large tidal range, widening significantly as the tide recedes to expose several small inlet bays and allowing beach level access to Golden Burn, caves and rockpools. The limited number of houses means that the beach is generally much less busy than nearby beaches including Trevone and Harlyn.

Did You Know?

Porthcothan was used as a film location in the recent TV series Poldark, representing Nampara Cove from the original Poldark books.

It is a beautiful dune-backed bay, with soaring cliffs on either side of the sandy beach with a stream running through it – perfect for dam-building.

The valley extends inland to the old Porthcothan Mill and pack-horse bridge, and an inland path links the Cornish coastal path with the inland hamlets of Rumford and Penrose.