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Porthcurno, UK

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

Also within 20 km of Porthcurno

All 11 on Porthcurno's map

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

Lifeguard, Porthcurno Beach
Porthcurno. Photo: habiloid, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Porthcurno

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

The spot faces S (167°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (347°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Porthcurno, 0.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 14°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 17 h 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 30 from the airport to Porthcurno, 78 km.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PorthcurnoAd

    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 Porthcurno · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Porthcurno · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Porthcurno on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

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

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct143 ft5 smushy30kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct223 ft12 shollow203kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct174 ft10 shollow246kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct205 ft10 shollow362kJ13°C
Thu 22Oct75 ft9 smushy329kJ15°C
Fri 23Oct66 ft11 shollow640kJ13°C
Sat 24Oct75 ft9 smushy346kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct234 ft9 shollow256kJ15°C
Mon 26Oct76 ft8 shollow391kJ16°C
Tue 27Oct124 ft8 shollow140kJ14°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 30 by road. About 17h door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Nanjizal (Mill Bay)

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 25 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 19 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to NQY, changing at DUB, then 1h 30 by road. About 17h door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Porthcurno each day: Nanjizal (Mill Bay), Porthcurno.

The trip from Porthcurno, 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.

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

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