Portheras, UK
Also within 20 km of St Just
- cot valley reef Surf spot · 1.5 km from St Just
- Gwenvor Surf spot · 3.9 km from St Just
- Sennen Surf spot · 5.4 km from St Just
- Nanjizal (Mill Bay) Surf spot · 7.9 km from St Just
- Porthcurno Surf spot · 9.3 km from St Just
- Newlyn Harbour wall Surf spot · 9.8 km from St Just
- Mousehole Reef Surf spot · 11.2 km from St Just
- Marazion - pointers Surf spot · 14.6 km from St Just
Watch this spot We email you when Portheras is worth the trip.

About Portheras
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces N (344°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (164°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–12 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 15). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually April, May, June and September, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is St Just, 4.7 km away (about 10 min by car).
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 17 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).
See flights ORD → NQY · Skyscanner from about £380 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 25 from the airport to Portheras, 75 km.
Accommodation.
Stay in St JustAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in St Just (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
St Just 8 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 32 places to stay · where Portheras stays
Places to stay in St Just · Booking.com AdNewlyn 18 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 84 places to stay
Places to stay in Newlyn · Booking.com AdSennen 18 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 28 places to stay
Places to stay in Sennen · Booking.com AdMousehole 22 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 27 places to stay
Places to stay in Mousehole · Booking.com AdPorthcurno 23 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 12 places to stay
Places to stay in Porthcurno · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in St Just · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in St Just · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Portheras on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 5, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 71kJ | wind from the north-east, 11 knots | 13°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 27, too small | 4 ft12 shollow | 390kJ | offshorewind from the south, 7 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 34, too small | 5 ft10 shollow | 355kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 10 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 16, poor | 7 ft10 smushy | 992kJ | wind from the west, 22 knots | 12°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 55, good | 9 ft8 scrumbling | 966kJ | offshorewind from the south, 16 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 16, poor | 9 ft10 smushy | 1,415kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 27 knots | 12°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 37, fair | 7 ft8 scrumbling | 535kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 18 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 5, too small | 3 ft9 shollow | 127kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 14 knots | 15°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 30, poor | 6 ft8 scrumbling | 494kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 14 knots | 15°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 6, too small | 3 ft10 shollow | 198kJ | wind from the south-west, 16 knots | 14°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 25 by road. About 17h door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 5 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 18 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Portheras
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 9 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 18 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctSurf Portheras
Best 13:00 to 16:00 local time: 7 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 25 by road. About 17h door to door
The plan picks the best of 3 spots near St Just each day: cot valley reef, Gwenvor, Portheras.
Rough cost
About £1,110–£2,070 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £380–£795 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £105–£175 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £250–£420 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £240–£445 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£170 |
| Total | £1,110–£2,070 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near St Just
- Jeremy'sFish and chips · in the centreFood hygiene 4 of 5, Aug 2025
- Red StarChinese · 0.1 km from the centreFood hygiene 2 of 5, Mar 2025
- London House Cafe0.1 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.