Portheras Cove


Half a mile north of Pendeen lies Portheras Cove, a lovely slash of sheltered sand that can only be reached via a 20-minute walk along the cliff path. The high cliffs around the beach take the brunt of the Atlantic winds, and the water is deep and crystal clear – although the remains of an exploded wreck in the 1960s still supposedly wash up from time to time, so take care.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Geevor Tin Mine

1.12 MILES

Just north of St Just near Pendeen, this historic mine closed in 1990 and now provides a powerful insight into the dark, dingy and dangerous conditions in…

2. Chûn Quoit

1.41 MILES

A well-preserved dolmen that probably marks the site of a burial tomb, and is likely to be associated with the original settlement that later developed…

3. Levant Mine & Beam Engine

1.47 MILES

At this clifftop site, one of the world's only working beam engines is still in thunderous action. Built in 1840, these great engines were the powerhouses…

4. Chûn Castle

1.53 MILES

Little now remains of this Iron Age hillfort, but in its day, this man-made stronghold would have been one of the best fortified redoubts in Penwith. As…

5. Botallack

2.17 MILES

Clinging to the cliffs near Levant, this dramatic complex of mine-workings is one of the most atmospheric sights from Cornwall's industrial past. The main…

6. Mên-an-tol

2.58 MILES

This baffling monument is the only one of its kind in Cornwall, consisting of two upright menhirs flanking a hollow, ring-shaped stone. Squeezing through…

7. Nine Maidens

2.88 MILES

A small stone circle of nine upright stones. The name derives from maedn (later shortened to mên, as in menhir), meaning stone.

8. Lanyon Quoit

3.08 MILES

Perhaps the most impressive of all of the ancient sites in this part of Penwith, this is a classic example of a quoit, or dolmen – a table-like structure…