Porthtowan is a village on the north coast of Cornwall, in the valley where a stream meets a broad beach under the cliffs. It grew around mining, and the cliffs nearby still carry the remains of it: engine houses on the skyline, stone walls running down to the sea. These days the village is known for the water. The beach below is popular with surfers, and the surf schools and cafes make their living from the same swell that once powered the machinery of the mines.
The beach
The sand runs wide at low tide and the Atlantic arrives unchecked, which is the whole arrangement: a beach with a village behind it and nothing between the two but the wind.
The village
A single street follows the valley down to the sea, with the old mining ground rising on either side. The coast path crosses above the village, linking it with the coves and engine houses of this stretch of coast.
Sources
Last checked: 2026-10-11