PorthcurnoSt. Levan

Porthcurno at a glance

Porthcurno: white shell sand beach, the clifftop Minack Theatre and PK Porthcurno museum near Land's End

Porthcurno is a small village in a valley on Cornwall's south coast. It lies about 6.6 miles west of Penzance and 2.5 miles from Land's End. The road in is a long cul-de-sac off the B3283, and the cliffs around it are part of a protected landscape.

The beach is sheltered by the Logan Rock headland and is known for its soft sand of crushed white shells, turquoise water and a freshwater stream that children like to paddle in. RNLI lifeguards patrol daily in the main season. The sand shelves steeply and currents can be strong, so swim between the red and yellow flags.

Porthcurno was the British landing point for undersea telegraph cables from 1870. Between the wars the cable station was briefly the largest in the world, and tunnels were cut into the valley side during the Second World War to protect the equipment. PK Porthcurno, the Museum of Global Communications, now tells this story in the former buildings and its WW2 bunker.

Just west of the beach, the Minack Theatre is an open air theatre cut into the granite cliff, with the bay as its backdrop. It was created by Rowena Cade, and you can visit by day as well as see a performance. Booking ahead is essential in the school holidays.

The South West Coast Path runs past the village. Walks lead east to Logan Rock and the Iron Age cliff fort of Treryn Dinas, and west to St Levan's Church and Porth Chapel. Buses between Penzance and Land's End stop in the village.