Mawgan Porth beach
The name Mawgan Porth has arisen from the Cornish name - Porthmaugan, in use in the 18th Century. However, in mediaeval times, it was known by a completely different name - Porthglyvyan - which translates to something along the lines of "cove of the wooded valley stream".
The beach at Mawgan Porth faces West into the Atlantic and has good surf, particularly when the wind is in an easterly direction. Opinions differ on whether the effect of the tide is significant on the quality of the surf; some say that it is best just after low tide.
- Tide times
- Beach info
- Map
- Dogs: allowed all year
Walks visiting Mawgan Porth beach
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4.3 miles/6.9 km - Easy
Mawgan Porth to St Mawgan
Mawgan Porth to St Mawgan
4.3 miles/6.9 km - Easy
A mostly circular walk from Mawgan Porth along the Vale of Lanherne, following the river Menalhyl to St Mawgan and returning past the 800-year-old cloistered Convent where the sanctuary light has been burning for hundreds of years.
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6.8 miles/11.0 km - Moderate
Porthcothan, Bedruthan Steps and Watergate Bay (via bus)
Porthcothan, Bedruthan Steps and Watergate Bay (via bus)
6.8 miles/11.0 km - Moderate
A (bus-assisted) one-way walk along the coast with spectacular wildflowers and one of Cornwall's most photographed views over the volcanic rock stacks of Bedruthan Steps, which Victorians liked to think of as a giant's stepping stones.
Download the iWalk Cornwall app and use the QR scanner within the app to find out more about any of the walks above.
If you'd like a purely coastal walk, you can park at Mawgan Porth and catch the bus to Porthcothan, then do our one-way walk from Porthcothan to Mawgan Porth via Bedruthan Steps. There is also a circular walk up the Vale of Lanherne from Mawgan Porth to St Mawgan.