Porthcurno Beach: white sandy beach meet clear turquoise sea

Right after the Telegraph museum in Porthcurno is a bay with a beautiful beach, the Porthcurno Beach. In fact, we parked our car near the Telegraph museum only to discover that there is another, bigger car park nearer the path to the beach. Other beaches in the bay are Pedn Vounder and Percella Lizzie but none as pretty as Portcurno beach.

Starting from the car park near the telegraph museum, allowed us to learn about Porthcurno’s past and its role as the centre of world telecommunication and a training school with training telegraph poles to show. The poles are dotted along the shady green path and, as they are training poles, they are no taller than 4 feet for easy access.

Path to the Beach

As you keep going past the public amenities, you are on the track to the beach. Be warn that the sandy foot path is uneven so take special care. On this path are a couple of structures; a lifeguard hut and a building where the first international submarine cable was brought ashore here from India. Further cables to Newfoundland, France, Spain and Gibraltar landed here later. The telegraphy facility closed in 1970 after 100 years of operation.

Telegraph Museum Mini Telephone Poles — Telegraph Museum Mini Training Telephone Poles

Porthcurno Beach

Back to the beach. Upon arrival, we were awestrucked by the vastness of the open plain which is the beach. Covered in white sand with clear turquoise water in the distance, it is as they say, one of the most beautiful bay in the area. Sandwiched by tall granite cliffs on either side, it is a picture perfect beach and is frequented by both locals and tourists alike. It is said that on low tide, you can walk on this beach to the neighbouring Pedn Vounder beach.

By the way, the beach is right next to the Minack Theatre although there is no direct access to it from here. You can’t see the theatre from the beach as it is further out and higher up in the cliff on the other side but the beach can be seen from Minack Theatre. Built in the 1930s, the Minack Theatre was carved into the cliffs with the audience sitting on the edge facing the stage with the sea as its backdrop. More about this in our next article.