Porthcothan Clifftop Camping

View prices & book 9.5 124 reviews
Campervan on site
Campervan on site
Sunset on site
Sea views
Pitched up
Sea view sunset
Grass pitches
Sunset
Well-behaved dogs welcome
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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). Sea views are visible all around the site, not to mention the gorgeous sunsets that light up the sky on regular occasions. This is a spot for those with an adventurous side – facilities include three hot showers, four 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

RV sites 3
Tent sites 38
Open now
Opens June 27
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, Jun 27 to

Campsite types & availability

Accommodation

Tent sitesCamper sitesRV sitesLodges, cabins, pods or hutsMobile homes for rentRent a tent
Choose your dates
2 adults
0 children

Reviews

9.5

Overall rating from 124 Pitchup.com customers

  • 83%
    10
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    9
  • 11%
    8
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    7
  • 1%
    6
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    5
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    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 6
Spectacular sceneryPeaceful

95% would recommend this campground to a friend

94% would stay here again

What customers say

This clifftop campsite offers stunning, unobstructed ocean views and direct access to the coastal trail. Visitors rave about the friendly, helpful owner, Jeff, and the clean, simple amenities, including hot showers and composting toilets. It's a serene, spacious spot with a "wild camping" vibe, perfect for dog lovers. While some noted the basic facilities and windy location, most guests are eager to come back.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 13
Arrival date (latest first)

Great camp spot for the night in our campervan. Stunning views and…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great camp spot for the night in our campervan. Stunning views and plenty of space. Basic amenities all you need.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Just wonderful

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Loved the casual clean freindly baisc provsion of this site.
Just perfect .................. no words

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wonderful!

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Amazing views! Great compost toilets, always very clean. Jeff is very friendly and just overall a very relaxed site, perfect for what we wanted with our dog!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Jeff was extremely kind and helpful when our car broke down on…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Jeff was extremely kind and helpful when our car broke down on route to the campsite. He helped with finding a garage and even gave us a bell tent when our car (and roof tent) was taken away to be fixed.
We can’t thank him enough for all his generosity!
The facilities were always clean and well maintained. The campsite is in a great location and has incredible sea views! Great value for money!
We all had a lovely time and will definitely be returning. Will be recommending to anyone looking to camp in the Padstow area!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Very friendly staff, nice and peaceful place, lovely view, on the SWCP

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked Very nice and clean basic campsite with hot showers, toilets and drinkable water. The view over cliffs is excelent!! Great for hikers as the campsite is practically on the SWCP. A wooden table was a great improvement for our stay!

Disliked Only one functioning tap with drinkable water. The price is higher in compare with better equipped campsites.

Recommend to friends Visit again

This was hands down the most beautiful campsite! Simple, just what we…

Overall

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked This was hands down the most beautiful campsite! Simple, just what we wanted. We got up at did the big walk to padstow and it was gorgeous. Loved the toilets and showers( they were a little chilly but it was so warm so it was all okay!) the beach is a small walk and absolutely gorgeous! lovely location, will def be going again!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Beautifull place with amazing views ! Definitely going to be coming here…

Overall

7 out of 10
Location
 6
Value for money
 8
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 7
Child friendliness
 5
Cleanliness
 6
Wifi
 1
Jake K.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Beautifull place with amazing views ! Definitely going to be coming here again and again 🙂

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent campsite with plenty of space and incredible views. Kept very…

Overall

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

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Excellent campsite with plenty of space and incredible views. Kept very clean by Jeff. The composting toilets were regularly cleaned and the shower facilities were spot on. Excellent views of the north coast with easy access to the coastal path.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Brilliant views and on the coastal path…

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Anonymous

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Brilliant views and on the coastal path

Recommend to friends Visit again

Would stay again

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 8
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 8
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 No rating
Paul H.

Primitive grass campervan, tent or trailer tent campsite

Liked Great view , plenty of space , near coastal path 1/4 mile from the beach , friendly relaxed owner

Disliked Toilets

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

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 6, 2025 – Wednesday, August 6, 2025)

    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.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

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 $40.31 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.