Porthcothan Clifftop Camping

View prices & book 9.6 263 reviews
Campervan on site
Sunset on site
Sea views
Pitched up

  • Clifftop eco camping in Cornwall with stunning sea views
  • A five-minute walk from Porthcothan Bay via the South West Coast Path
  • Back to basics site on a working farm by the coast path; dogs welcome
Based on a working beef and sheep farm just off the South West Coast Path, Porthcothan Clifftop Camping likes to keep things simple. After all, why would you want to complicate life when you have a spacious grassy field, spectacular views out to sea and a top Cornwall location? This friendly and laidback pop-up site crosses the cliffs and looks out over the golden sands of Porthcothan Bay (roughly five minutes' walk away via the coast path). This is a spot for those with an adventurous side – it's an off-grid, eco-friendly and wild location without flushing loos. Sea views are visible all around the site, not to mention that there's no light pollution, making for stunning stargazing on clear nights and gorgeous sunsets. Facilities include five powerful hot showers, eight composting toilets and multiple water points, as well as four indoor hot-water sinks for washing up and an outdoor cold-water handwashing station. You'll need to be fairly self-sufficient in bringing all your own food and equipment, but it's not far to a feed or a hot drink as there are cafés that can be reached within a mile's walk. The sizeable village of Saint Merryn (five minutes' drive) has more amenities, and the larger town of Padstow (a renowned foodie spot) is an easy 15 minute-drive down the road. Those of you who never leave your dogs behind for an adventure will also be happy to find that well-behaved dogs are also welcome at Porthcothan Clifftop Camping.

Site type

Tent pitches 50
Motorhome pitches 50
Open now
Opens 2 July
Please note

Admission

  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Dogs

  • The site does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Dangerous Dogs Act (i.e. XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu 2 Jul to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

  • 78%
    10
  • 11%
    9
  • 8%
    8
  • 1%
    7
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    6
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    5
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
9
Accommodation
9
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
9
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
5

99% would recommend this site to a friend

98% would stay here again

What customers say

This clifftop campsite offers stunning sea views and direct access to the South West Coast Path. Guests consistently praise the friendly and helpful owner, Jeff, and the peaceful atmosphere. Facilities are generally described as basic but clean, with hot showers and well-maintained compost toilets. A short walk leads to beautiful beaches, making it ideal for nature lovers and walkers. The site's exposed location can be windy, and access is via a narrow, bumpy lane. Some visitors found the compost toilets challenging, and a few noted occasional issues with hot water in the showers.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 18/08/2026

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Reviews page 1 of 27
Arrival date (latest first)

Off grid, no ugly white monster…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Off grid, no ugly white monster campers, fantastic sea view all over. Jeff rocks

Recommend to friends Visit again

Awesome!…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
No rating
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Alice L. 1 review

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Awesome!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Super chilled stay, can’t wait to return!

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
1
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The views are amazing, a short walk to the beach, a well managed site and once you are packed up you can stay parked for the rest of the day while you visit the beach!

Disliked Not a lover of a compost toilet! That said, well maintained and kept clean and tidy 😊

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant stay

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Everything was brilliant- hot water, showers decent & toilets were clean.

Disliked Only thing that lets this down is the track to get to the campsite

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic location, stunning views and a friendly helpful owner

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
10
Cleanliness
9
Wifi
No rating

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked This campsite has stunning views and was peaceful and quiet for our stay, the owner was incredibly friendly and helpful. This site is perfectly located for beach trips(about a 10 minute walk) and a great base for exploring other beaches and towns like Padstow. Overall I can’t fault this site in the main

Disliked My only slight negative was the shower times, but as an off grid site I completely understand the reasoning

Recommend to friends Visit again

The most beautiful view. Facilities were…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked The most beautiful view.
Facilities were really clean, so nice to have hot water!

Disliked Absolutely nothing!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely camp, will be booking again

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
9
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Everything, the view, the host, the amenities, location, everything was perfect and what we wanted. Loved that you didn’t have a specific pitch and could pick where you wanted to camp

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely view, easy to find, and…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lovely view, easy to find, and plenty of nice walks nearby.

Recommend to friends Visit again

The best

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
5

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Everything about this camp site is perfect and Geoff the owner is very considerate and will put him self out to assist you
Sunsets are amazing 🤩

Disliked Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lots of space for camping, lots…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
8
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
7
Wifi
No rating

Non-electric grass campervan, tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked Lots of space for camping, lots of sky and sea for gazing!

Disliked Not disliked but the loos and wash room could really benefit from solar powered motion sensitive lighting

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house Beach access Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Games room Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Play area TV room Take away Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Food shop Free wifi Ice pack freezing Internet access Launderette Parent & baby washroom Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Public telephone Shower available Toilet block Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided Barbecues allowed Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transport nearby Shop nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 pitches) Pop-up campsite

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Surf school nearby Watersports nearby

Location

Porthcothan Clifftop Camping

Carnevas Farm

Porthcothan Bay

Padstow

Cornwall

England

PL28 8PN

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

50.51236°N
5.01721°W

Route directions

Please do not follow Google Maps, as it will take you down a dead-end road. Use the following instructions (or what3words: postcard.pacifist.tortoises). The gateway for the site is 20 yards along on the left just past a grey cottage (on the right) called Carnavis Cottage. It is clearly marked with the logo and the name Porthcothan Clifftop Camping. Please do not continue up to Carnevas Holiday Park, which is a separate business.

Nearest transport

Coach
6.7 mi Shop Corner
6.7 mi Porth Four Turns
7.5 mi Bus Station
Rail
7.2 mi Newquay Rail Station
7.5 mi Quintrell Downs Rail Station
8.6 mi St Columb Road Rail Station
Ferry
4.1 mi Padstow Ferry Landing
4.6 mi Rock Padstow Ferry Landing
19.8 mi Mevagissey Ferry Landing
Airport
4.5 mi Newquay St Mawgan Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

With direct access to the South West Coast Path, reaching Cornwall’s coves on foot has never been easier. Once you’ve ticked off seeing beaches like Porthcohan Bay and Treyarnon Bay a short walk along the coast, further afield are the bigger towns. Padstow (15 minutes’ drive), in particular, has lots to like: access to the Camel Trail, a busy harbour, a ferry to Rock and Prideaux Palace. To the south of Padstow is Trevibban Mill Vineyard (15 minutes) and its Cornish cider and wine tasting activities. Wadebridge (25 minutes) also has bicycle hire for the Camel Trail if you want to end your route in Padstow. Port Isaac (40 minutes), further afield, is a historic place with rows of cottages, a historic harbour and kayaking, coasteering or speed boat trips. If you’re looking for more entertainment of the active sort, Newquay Activity Centre (30 minutes) runs surf lessons, paddleboarding and other watersports. Kids are also likely to enjoy Newquay Zoo (30 minutes) and near Wadebridge, the Camel Creek Adventure Park (15 minutes), which has rides, small animals and a 5D cinema.

Food and drink

  • Salt & Samphire 1.5 mi
  • The Olive Tree 1.5 mi
  • Rafferty's 1.5 mi
  • Fryer Tucks Fish and Chips 1.5 mi
  • Ivy House Restaurant 1.9 mi
  • Trevisker's Kitchen 2.9 mi
  • Tredragon Pizza 3.3 mi
  • Beach Box Cafe 3.3 mi
  • Catch 3.4 mi
  • The Blue Fish Bar 3.4 mi

Parks and play

  • Mother Ives Bay Holiday Park 2.1 mi
  • St Mawgan Playing Field Play Area 4.1 mi

Public transport

  • Opp Tredrea Inn 0.2 mi
  • Tredrea Inn 0.2 mi
  • Porthcothan Bay Stores 0.4 mi
  • opp Porthcothan Bay Stores 0.4 mi
  • Top of Porthcothan Hill 0.5 mi
  • Top of Porthcothan Hill 0.5 mi
  • Treyarnon Turn 0.8 mi
  • Old MacDonalds Farm 0.8 mi
  • Sea View Road 0.9 mi
  • Sea View Corner 0.9 mi

Groceries

  • Tesco 3.5 mi
  • Spar 6.2 mi

Family days out

  • Mother Ives Bay Holiday Park 2.1 mi
  • St Mawgan Playing Field Play Area 4.1 mi

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Must see

Cornwall's Crealy Great Adventure Park 4.2 mi

Rock Beach 4.7 mi

Blue Reef Aquarium 7.3 mi

Fistral Beach 7.3 mi

Newquay Zoo 7.3 mi

National Trust

Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps 2.3 mi

Trerice 8.8 mi

Tintagel Old Post Office 15.6 mi

Trelissick Garden 20.4 mi

Cornish Mines and Engines 22.5 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Harlyn and Constantine Bays 2.1 mi

Bedruthen Steps and Park Head 2.2 mi

Trevone Bay - Constantine Bay - South West Coastal Path 2.9 mi

PRIDEAUX PLACE 3.9 mi

Padstow and the South-West Coast Path 3.9 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Cornwall?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Porthcothan Clifftop Camping have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Porthcothan Clifftop Camping dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Porthcothan Clifftop Camping? With direct access to the South West Coast Path, reaching Cornwall’s coves on foot has never been easier. Once you’ve ticked off seeing beaches like Porthcohan Bay and Treyarnon Bay a short … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Porthcothan Clifftop Camping?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Porthcothan Clifftop Camping? From £30 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.