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
8.65 MILES
Looming up in the middle of Mount's Bay and connected to the mainland at Marazion via a cobbled causeway, this abbey-crowned island is an unforgettable…
8.55 MILES
After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…
23.4 MILES
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…
13.44 MILES
This wonderful medieval house and garden was the family seat of the Godolphin family who, during the 17th and 18th centuries, were one of Cornwall's great…
28.1 MILES
Grandly located at the head of the Fal estuary, 4 miles south of Truro, Trelissick is one of Cornwall's most beautiful aristocratic estates, with a formal…
20.99 MILES
Two miles from St Agnes is one of Cornwall's most beautiful coves, Chapel Porth, a wild, rocky beach framed by steep, gorse-covered cliffs, owned by the…
12.42 MILES
These wonderful side-by-side beaches join up at low tide to form one epic stretch of golden, flat sand. At the eastern end is the small, National Trust…
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…
Nearby West Cornwall attractions
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…