A picturesque little fishing town being the most southerly port on mainland Britain.
Work commenced on the harbour construction in 1811, this was primarily to provide refuge for the mining boats exporting coal and the large fishing fleet, at one time this reached 100 boats. The primary catch was pilchards which was thriving during the 1800’s.
There are still fishing boats in the harbour but this is restricted to fishing for lobsters, crabs and crayfish.
There is a very long beach from the harbour that at low tide stretched all the way to Loe Bar. Caution should be exercised when walking as it is quite possible to be cut off by the tide. The sand quality is poor and the beach is not recommended for bathing. It is however, very popular with surfers, unlike most south coast beaches the swell here gets very big and the surfing is often excellent. This can clearly be seen during winter storms when waves regularly crash over the harbour wall.
The town is quite small but quite popular with visitors during the summer months. There are a number of small shops, some good restaurants, tea rooms and pubs. The harbour frontage is a nice place to relax and watch the boats coming and going.
The accommodation in Porthleven is quite limited, there are a few hotels and guest houses, some of which have stunning sea views.
The nearest main towns are Penzance and Helston, both are only a short drive away.