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Porthleven Beach, UK

Stay in Porthleven: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Porthleven

All 18 on Porthleven's map

Watch this spot We email you when Porthleven Beach is worth the trip.

Lands End, Cape Cornwall, Brisons - aerial photo
Cornwall, the wider area. Photo: Tom Corser, CC BY-SA 2.0 uk, Wikimedia Commons

About Porthleven Beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (211°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (31°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–11 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). 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 August, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and May, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Porthleven, 0 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → NQY · Skyscanner from about £380 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 05 from the airport to Porthleven Beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PorthlevenAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Porthleven · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Porthleven · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Porthleven Beach on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Porthleven Beach does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct262 ft5 smushy21kJ12°C
Mon 19Oct252 ft10 shollow87kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct363 ft10 shollow170kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct185 ft11 shollow412kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct75 ft8 smushy281kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct125 ft11 shollow578kJ12°C
Sat 24Oct165 ft9 smushy381kJ14°C
Sun 25Oct213 ft9 smushy176kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct134 ft9 smushy205kJ15°C
Tue 27Oct153 ft8 smushy100kJ14°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 intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 05 by road. About 16h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Porthleven Beach

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 26 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 12 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 24 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 21 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 05 by road. About 16h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Porthleven each day: Portcew, Porthleven, Porthleven Beach.

The trip from Porthleven, with every spot near it

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.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£380–£795
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 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 Porthleven

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

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.