Chapel Porth

St Agnes · Cornwall · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Chapel Porth (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/chapel-porth.

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Chapel Porth is a small cove at the foot of a valley below the old Wheal Coates mine. At low tide it opens onto a wide beach that joins Porthtowan, and the waves are powerful, with good rights. At high tide the sand is completely covered.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m west to north-west swell with a south-easterly wind, around low tide.

When it doesn't

✕ High tide covers the beach, and westerly winds blow it out.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • rocks

Best months

March, April, May, September, October, November

Local tips

Watch the incoming tide: it is easy to get cut off along the cliffs. The rips are strong.

Getting there

The small National Trust car park is right at the beach. From there you cross pebbles and rocks to the sand. Or walk about 20 minutes from Beacon Drive.

Travel notes

How often it works
Very consistent on west and north-west swells, but only for a few hours around low tide.
Crowd and vibe
Busy on summer low tides; quiet in the off-season.
Camping and vans
Beacon Cottage Farm is a touring site about ten minutes' walk away. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
Toilets and a café in the car park, and lifeguards in summer.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 English bathing-water classification (Chapel Porth).

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, WSW–NNW works
Size
1–2.2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.7 m, holds to 3 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore E–SSE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
low best, avoid high
Faces
WNW (285°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Cornwall · All spots

Sources