Portreath is a small beach with steep cliffs on either side. The resort is steeped in history as it was a major harbour for exporting copper.
Portreath today still has a working harbour with a few small fishing boats but now offers a great family beach location. The small resort has a couple of pubs, a beach cafe and a surf shop that hires boards and wetsuits.
The beach is popular with bodyboarders and surfers although the surf is not so large as some of the other North Cornwall beaches, it does offer a good wave besides the harbour wall as the tide comes in.
Keen walkers can head up either side to see some great coastline and coves, although these coves can only be reached by boat.
Why not check beaches nearby as we have 3 beaches around Portreath, 215 beaches in Cornwall, or have a look at our list of Cornwall dog friendly beaches, or even our United Kingdom Blue Flag beach list.
Portreath Cornwall Coast Search Bar
Where would you like to go? Use our search bar to search across all our local listings, ideal for finding that nearest spot to visit:
Want some ideas on where to visit?
Every favourite location must be visited for the first time. Want some ideas, why not check out the below small selection of coastal locations, including beaches, activities, things to see and do, places to stay and eat:
- The Hub is located by Portreath beach and offers Bike Hire and a Coffee Shop.
- Gooden Heane Cove is a sandy beach with some rock pools to explore. The cove is named after Gooden Heane Rock that sits just off the beach. A large car park on Lighthouse Hill is just above the cove and it also walkable from Portreath town, although you can’t get down to the beach as vertical rock faces. The only access is really by boat or kayak from Portreath beach around Horse Rock by the harbour entrance.
- The Portreath Beach Cafe is located at the edge of the car park overlooking Portreath beach, Serves breakfast, lunch, coffee and drinks.
- Portreath beach is a gently shelving sandy beach on Cornwall’s north coast. The bay has high cliffs on either side along with a small working harbour. The name Portreath means “sandy cove” and Portreath harbour is steeped in history as it exported copper and imported coal to support the Cornish copper mines and also some shipbuilding. At low tide, this is a large flat sandy beach but when the tide comes in the beach is split into two with a small cove to the west and the main area in front of the car park. You will not see so many surfers as on some other beaches on this stretch of coast but you can get a powerful wave alongside the harbour wall. What it is is a great safe family beach very popular for bodyboarding and at low tide you can get some good rock pools to explore by harbour wall. Facilities at the beach include car parking, toilets, ramp access, seasonal lifeguards, beach cafe, pubs, shops including surf hire and the Portreath Surf Life Saving Club.
- Smuggler’s Cove and Western Cove are sandy beaches with rocks. Good views from the coast path but no access down to the beach. At mid to low tide you can access the cove from Portreath beach either by walking around the headland, through a small tunnel or by canoe, although you need to be aware of the tides as you could be cut off. The collapsed sea cave is known as Ralph’s Cupboard where openings in the rock were used to store contraband, hence the name Smuggler’s cove. The most famous smuggler being Ralph, hence Ralph’s Cupboard. Facilities are within the town of Portreath the other side of Western Hill.
- The Basset Arms is a traditional pub located about 200 meters from Portreath beach and has an outside seating/eating area and a children’s playground. The pub serves a selection of homecooked meals and fine beers.
Some more locations in Cornwall
- Bodmin
- Boscastle
- Bude
- Callington
- Camborne and Redruth
- Camelford
- Falmouth
- Fowey
- Isles of Scilly
- Launceston
- Liskeard
- Looe
- Lostwithiel
- Newquay
- Padstow
- Penwith Peninsula
- Perranporth
- Polzeath
- Port Isaac
- Portreath
- Praa Sands
- Rame Peninsula
- Roseland Peninsula
- Saltash
- St Agnes
- St Austell
- St Cleer
- St Tudy
- The Lizard
- Tintagel
- Truro
- Wadebridge