Secret Season: Porth
It’s Secret Season, where we explore what there is to see and do across Cornwall during the cooler, quieter months. This week we’re at Porth, a sheltered family beach on the North Cornish coast with a whole lot of stunning coast path to enjoy nearby.
Discover
- Roo’s Beach
- SeaSpace cafe
- Walking to Bedruthan Steps
- Watergate Bay
- Mawgan Porth
- Whale watching
A destination for classic bucket-and-spade beach days during the summer months, Porth isn’t somewhere to be overlooked as the coastline cools down. This relaxing base for morning beach strolls and coffee sits right in the middle of an incredible stretch of coastline which cries out for coast path exploration. Discover rugged north coast scenery and walk with us from Porth all the way to Bedruthan Steps, stopping on the way for lunch and a spot of whale watching…
On the sand
We start our morning on the soft sand of Porth Beach, where gulls bathe in the gentle stream and the Atlantic rollers crash in the distance. At low tide, Porth reveals a huge stretch of sand with caves, rockpools and a fascinating bridge to the headland which you can walk under. At high tide, the water comes in so close to meet the river that it creates a stunning cove-like feel.
Roo’s Beach
Roo’s Beach stays open all year round for coffee and shopping fixes. Browse from hand-selected brands and grab a pastry from its takeaway hatch. Next door, The Mermaid Inn is your go-to for those late afternoon pints or a hearty pub dinner.
SeaSpace
As it’s mid-morning, we head up to the recently opened SeaSpace, an aparthotel on the clifftops minutes from Porth Beach with a vibrant cafe and restaurant.
At SeaSpace, we order brunch and coffee to fuel us for a long coastal hike, but if you’re here later in the day, you can dine at Tallo, an Italo-American eatery serving fresh pasta and the best arancini in town.
Coastal walking
The walk from Porth to Bedruthan clocks in at just under five miles, so it’s a good idea to park one car at the National Trust car park in Bedruthan, and leave one car at your starting point in Porth, to save having to walk both ways. Local buses also regularly run along the coastal road.
Watergate Bay
The first stop en route is Watergate Bay, approached on a scenic descent from the clifftops. If you need refreshments, there’s Cubs Coffee, The Beach Hut and The Living Space for lunch.
Whale watching
In between Watergate Bay and Mawgan Porth, we were lucky enough to come across a group of whale watchers spotting a humpback in the water.
Whaling had depleted the humpback population to less than 5% of its original size, but since gaining protection in the 1960s, their numbers have rebounded and there’s been many recent sightings in North Cornwall. We sat on the clifftops peering through binoculars at the whale breaching out of the water – a truly incredible sight.
Image credit: Andy Holter
Image credit: Andy Holter
Mawgan Porth
Once the whale had begun to make its way further away from us back towards Watergate Bay, we continued our trek to Mawgan Porth for a much-needed hot chocolate break.
We warmed up in Catch Seafood, Bar and Grill, where you can get a hot drink alongside plenty of the freshest seafood. The Merrymoor Inn, with its extensive beer garden, is also a good option for a mid-walk drink.
Bedruthan Steps
Finally, we made it up to Bedruthan Steps, with its iconic granite rock stacks out to sea. Dolphins can often be spotted from the clifftops and you could while away hours gazing out at the panoramic views. Here, Carnewas Tea Room serves a mouth-watering selection of cakes or cream teas to hungry whale watchers.
Bedruthan Steps is also the perfect spot to catch a spectacular north coast sunset.
Stay in Porth this Secret Season and discover more of North Cornwall…
