The Local Area

Porthleven wraps around its granite harbour and pier with its famous clock tower. It is ideal as a base for a walking holiday, as it is situated on the South West Coastal Path, or for spending days relaxing on the pleasant beach or around the harbour where you can hire kayaks and SUPs, buy a crabbing kit to try your luck off the harbour walls or join a fishing trip on a local fishing boat.

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Once you’ve worked up an appetite - Porthleven caters for every taste from friendly pubs to Michelin starred restaurants, café’s, ice-cream & pasty shops. If you prefer to eat in – you will be fully provided for by the local takeaways, deli’s or the small supermarket selling lots of local produce and providing a well-stocked wine aisle.

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Porthleven Food Festival is an annual event bringing people from across the county together to enjoy eats and beats with national and international chef’s theatre, food stalls, street food, music by day and night and entertainment for all.  Porthleven Harbour Market is an outdoor artisan market set beside the harbour which takes place across the spring and summer months as well as Christmas time and the Shipyard Market offers an undercover food hall, craft market and art space.

The town has always been popular with artists and crafts people and there are several shops displaying and selling local work as well as providing all the essentials for a seaside holiday.

Porthleven is a popular spot with surfers - but only those with lots of experience – for novice surfers the nearby Praa Sands, which boasts a large sandy beach, is the place to go.  Porthleven Beach has a lifeguard presence in the summer months and is a wonderful place to spend sunny days swimming, relaxing or rockpooling at low tide.  The beach stretches three miles to Loe Bar and Gunwalloe Church Cove.

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Other sports facilities within Porthleven include the gig club, football, cricket, a skate park, bowling and snooker clubs. There are also two golf course nearby at Praa Sands & Mullion. Within Porthleven are two play areas for the children and a beautiful amenity area for our four legged friends.

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The National Trust’s Penrose Walk starts at the edge of Porthleven and can be followed through the woodlands all the way to the ancient town of Helston (which can also be reached in 2.5 miles by road) with its boating lake, cinema, Flambards Theme Park, shops, restaurants and 3 large supermarkets.  Penrose walk is perfect for walking and cycling and takes you along the cliffs via Loe Bar. The bar has been formed by the winter gales and fierce under-currents piling sand and flint at the mouth of the River Cober and is an area of special scientific interest.  The lake behind is the biggest stretch of natural fresh water in Cornwall and a bird watchers paradise.

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The South West Coast Path heads in the other direction to Rinsey, with its engine houses, made famous in Poldark, and secluded beach – and beyond. 

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Other local attractions include St Michaels Mount in nearby Marazion Bay, Prussia Cove, St Ives, the Lizard Peninsular and Lands End – whilst all that Cornwall has to offer can be easily reached by road.