Porthcothan Clifftop Camping

View prices & book 9.6 209 reviews
Campervan on site
Campervan on site
Sunset on site
Sea views
Pitched up
Sea view sunset
Grass pitches
Sunset
Well-behaved dogs welcome
1/300
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. 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.

Campground type

Tent sites 50
RV sites 50
Open now
Opens July 2
Please note

Admission

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

Dogs

  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).

Languages spoken

English

Open from Thu, Jul 2 to

No availability here for your search criteria

Reviews

9.6

Overall rating from 209 Pitchup.com customers

  • 77%
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Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 5
Spectacular scenery

99% would recommend this campground to a friend

98% would stay here again

What customers say

This clifftop campsite boasts stunning ocean views & coastal path access, with beaches nearby. Guests love owner Jeff's friendliness. Basic, clean facilities, esp. showers. Compost toilets are an acquired taste. Access is via a narrow, rough lane. Peaceful & beautiful.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews. Last updated 8/4/2026

Filter by topic

Reviews page 1 of 21
Arrival date (latest first)

Great view from the cliff.. unbelievable…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great view from the cliff.. unbelievable beautiful

Recommend to friends Visit again

Truly beautiful location with direct access to the SW coast path

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Paul H. 2 reviews

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Fantastic location, superb sea views, lovely showers. Jeoff the owner was helpful and friendly. Chilled atmosphere. Would definitely come back

Disliked Toilets are primitive but everything else is so good you forget about it

Recommend to friends Visit again

What an amazing campsite! Spectacular location…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked What an amazing campsite! Spectacular location and views, plenty of space and excellent toilets and showers.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Views are insane!! Clean facilities back…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 6
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
emily a. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Views are insane!!
Clean facilities back to basics
Powerful and warm showers

Disliked Treck to the toilet depending where you park

Recommend to friends Visit again

10/10 Jeff the owner gave us…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
 chris s. 2 reviews

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked 10/10 Jeff the owner gave us an extremely warm welcome and was a pleasure to speak to, he gave a brief description of the sites amenities and left us to enjoy, we thoughorly enjoyed the short walk down to the beach in the evening and went for a lovely little swim in the bay, the sunset we returned to on the site was amazing ,100% will return

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great views …… facilities not to our personal liking though

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 5
Facilities / Activities
 1
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Views are incredible and the short walk to beaches was perfect! Only stayed one night

Disliked Unfortunately the toilets as they are not working toilets and compost it just wasn’t something we could get passed I’m afraid! But for the price I think you should have running water and flushable toilets with at least some lights so you can see

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We are an off grid site! So it’s wild and eco all the way :) The lack of any light pollution is almost unique in this area and makes for incredible star gazing. Compost toilets are clearly pointed out in the description so probably best not to book if that’s something you can’t deal with.

Die Aussicht war toll. Jeff war…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 8
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
 Sabine Z. 1 review

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Die Aussicht war toll. Jeff war freundlich. Die Duschen und Komposttoiletten waren sauber und wir waren zufrieden. Es ist sehr ruhig dort, nichts für Leute, die viel drumrum brauchen.

Disliked Ein Spiegel wäre schön gewesen.

Recommend to friends Visit again

We had an amazing stay at…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked We had an amazing stay at this campsite! Everything was clean, peaceful, and well-maintained. Jeff was incredibly helpful and welcoming, always making sure we had everything we needed. His friendly attitude made our stay even more enjoyable 😊😊 We would definitely recommend this campsite and look forward to coming back

Recommend to friends Visit again

Fantastic view

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Such an incredible view thank you very much we loved it. See you next year!

Recommend to friends Visit again

One of the best campsites we…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 No rating
Wifi
 No rating
Bradley S. 3 reviews

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked One of the best campsites we have been to. Amazing location, but they have built a great level of amenities to support it, well maintained by the owner, who is friendly, helpful and informative.
The view is amazing with plenty of pitches available to enjoy it and with porthcothan bay a very short walk from the site thanks to the national trail.
Their is a slope across the fields (to be expected if you are going to a cliff side spot) we slept in a tent and had little issues, just have to think well about placement.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Campfires allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Beach access Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports Wild swimming

Amenities on park

Bath available Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

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

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Farm Medium (26-50 sites) Pop-up campground

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 +0100 (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

Bus
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.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Porthcothan 0.4 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Treyarnon Bay 1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Constantine Bay 1.5 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent
Booby’S Bay 1.9 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentN/A
Harlyn Bay 2.1 mi Sea N/AExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

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

Local events

  • Boardmasters (Wednesday, August 5, 2026 – Wednesday, August 5, 2026)

    Newquay, England 5.4 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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  10 a.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Porthcothan Clifftop Camping? From $40.36 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.