Portreath, Cornwall travel guide and Portreath information

Visit Portreath

The village and beach of Portreath are located a few miles north-west of Redruth on the north-east Brittany coast.

Portreath itself is focussed around its traditional harbour, lined by houses and protected by a large wall to provide a secure calm environment for the boats (in fact Portreath harbour is further divided and protected by having an additional 'Inner Harbour'). Like many Cornish villages, the history of Portreath is closely linked firstly to fishing, then later also to mining when it was an important centre for exporting locally sourced copper ore (hence the original construction of the harbour in the 18th century).

In more recent decades tourism has taken precedence and Portreath is now a popular holiday destination with a wide range of pubs, cafes etc and a wide selection of accommodation options focussed on the needs of visitors.

The main attraction for visitors is the seafront. There is a popular sandy beach at Portreath, with a pier to one side beyond which is access to the harbour. The beach is popular with bathers and also, being on the north coast of Cornwall, with windsurfers. Lifesavers are present during the summer.

Beyond the pier, to the north of the beach, the coast becomes dramatic cliffs, with lovely views along the coast and back across Portreath itself. Towards the south the cliffs are slightly less severe and you can still see some of the first traces of tourism in Portreath - stone 'baths' cut in the rock in the 1780's where ladies could relax in peace. Either direction, a walk along the south-west coast path is recommended - perhaps south as far as Basset's Cove or north to Porthtowan.

if you want a change of scenery after a while at the beach, head a little way south from Portreath to Tehidy Country Park to amble along footpaths through the extensive woods and to admire the streams and ponds in a very pleasant shady environment.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Cornwall guide.