Porthgwidden Beach

Information
Porthgwidden beach is a small sandy sheltered beach to the north of St Ives harbour. As well as the sand you have some interesting rocks to explore.
The beach is positioned within the town between the bigger St. Ives beaches and more visitors tend to head to these bigger neighbours of Porthmeor or Porthminster beaches.
Plenty of facilities as this is in the heart of St. Ives although parking can be a problem.
Porthgwidden beach does not allow dogs between 1st May and 1st October.
Why not check other beaches nearby as we have 50 beaches around Penwith Peninsula, 215 beaches in Cornwall, or check our list of Cornwall Dog Friendly Beaches.
Video:
Beach Water Quality
Water samples are taken at regular intervals during the bathing season and at the end of the season the water quality is classified as:
- Excellent: the highest classification meaning the water is cleanest
- Good: generally good water quality
- Sufficient: meets minimum standards
- Poor: You are advised not to swim. The beach will stay open and an action plan should be in place to improve the water quality.
Tides
7 Day Weather Forecast
Our weather forecast for Penwith Peninsula in Cornwall is split into two widgets. The first shows a timeline containing temperature, wind, sunrise/sunset and chance of rain, whilst the second shows the forecast for the week ahead including severe weather alerts when available.
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  Porthgwidden beach is a small sandy sheltered beach to the north of St Ives harbour. As well as the sand you have some interesting rocks to explore. The beach is positioned within the town between the bigger St. Ives beaches and more visitors tend to head to these bigger neighbours of Porthmeor or Porthminster beaches. Plenty of facilities as this is in the heart of St. Ives although parking can be a problem.
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- Porthmeor Beach
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- Porthminster Beach
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- Carbis Bay Beach
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- The Towans Beach
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  The Towans refers to a 4 mile stretch of beach and each individual area of the dunes behind the beach have their own identities. The individual areas include: Hayle Towans, Black Cliff, Riviere Towans, Mexico Towans, Common Towans, Phillack Towans, Upton Towans and Gwithian Towans. The Towans mix of sand, sand dune and grassland has a wide variety of wildlife and plants and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Some dunes rise to more than 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level. A wide section of places to park along this Hayle stretch of St. Ives bay. Dog restrictions: this is one long beach but each section has different dog rules, please check the signs at the point you enter.
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Reviews
1 Review on “Porthgwidden Beach”
- Anonymous
  
  4 years ago
  Good small town beach.
  An ideal small beach in the beautiful Cornish town of St. Ives. Smaller than some of the other St Ives beaches but we found it nicer as you don’t get the emphasis on surfing as it is more sheltered.
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