Porthleven’s biggest
Gala Parc
Playing field
1.7 ha (4 acres)
2 pitchesfootball pitches would fit
Centralin the middle of Porthleven
Directionsto the nearest entrance
Photo: David Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors Grade
Outdoors in Porthleven · parks, paths & countryside
Porthleven is on the coast, on the South West Coast Path
The sea makes up 38% of the area within 5 km. The Cornwall National Landscape reaches the edge of Porthleven. Parks and playing fields in Porthleven add up to 1.6 ha for every 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1. Porthleven grades B+ for the outdoors: #15 of 35 in Cornwall. A character grade: it isn’t part of the overall grade.
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical UK town 2.1
Near a park
78%
of residents within 400 m
Typical UK town 83%
Footpaths
24 km
2.5 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical UK town 3.0 per km²
Protected landscape
19%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Cornwall National Landscape
The sea
38%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors town is Porthleven?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast38% of the area within 5 km is sea; 12 beaches mapped.Countryside close byThe Cornwall National Landscape starts 0.0 mi north.On a National TrailThe South West Coast Path passes through.Less park per person1.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical UK town has 2.1.
Porthleven’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by the Cornwall National Landscape close by. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Outdoors grade
Porthleven grades B+ for the outdoors
Each chart is every UK town of 1,000 or more on one measure: the green bar is Porthleven, the dashed line the typical town. The number is the share of towns it beats; the five are averaged and the average ranked again.
B+
Better than 72% of UK towns#15 of 35 in Cornwall · 17th of 60 UK towns its size
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
33out of
100
100
A park within a walk78%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
43out of
100
100
National Park or National Landscape19%of the land within 5 km
77out of
100
100
Footpaths2.5 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
46out of
100
100
The sea38%of the area within 5 km
95out of
100
100
Graded, never part of the overall grade (like History and Civic life). It measures what is mapped: OS Open Greenspace leaves out woodland and open-access land that isn’t a park, and OpenStreetMap’s rural paths are more complete in some places than others.
Towns its size
Porthleven is 17th of 60 UK towns its size for the outdoors
The 60 UK towns and cities of 3,000 to 3,300 people with an Outdoors Grade. Hover a dot for its figures; tap one for its page.
Outdoors score: the share of UK towns each one beats
Footpath, km per km²
Porthleven2.5
Towns its size2.4
Cornwall towns2.3
All UK towns3.0
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Porthleven1.6
Towns its size1.7
Cornwall towns1.6
All UK towns2.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Porthleven78%
Towns its size80%
Cornwall towns81%
All UK towns83%
Show as a table
| Town | Outdoors | Green space | Near a park | Path per km² | Protected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whyteleafe Surrey | A+ | 16.3 | 100% | 4.9 | 15% |
| 2 | Theale Berkshire | A+ | 5 | 100% | 3.8 | 39% |
| 3 | Cuxton Kent | A+ | 25.2 | 90% | 4 | 44% |
| 4 | Horton Heath Hampshire | A+ | 10 | 100% | 3.3 | 13% |
| 5 | Bignall End Staffordshire | A | 9.1 | 100% | 4.1 | 0% |
| 6 | Llangollen Clwyd | A | 3.5 | 91% | 2.5 | 76% |
| 7 | Menai Bridge Gwynedd | A | 1.8 | 100% | 2.4 | 7% |
| 8 | Moira Leicestershire | A | 15.5 | 86% | 5.1 | 0% |
| 9 | Tywyn Gwynedd | A− | 2.4 | 79% | 1.9 | 51% |
| 10 | Gamesley Derbyshire | A− | 0.8 | 100% | 5 | 32% |
| 11 | Netherton (Kirklees) West Yorkshire | A− | 2 | 88% | 5.5 | 6% |
| 12 | Oughtibridge South Yorkshire | A− | 2.2 | 76% | 6 | 19% |
| 13 | Bream Gloucestershire | A− | 2.2 | 82% | 4.7 | 10% |
| 14 | Wootton Isle of Wight | B+ | 3.7 | 67% | 1.7 | 20% |
| 15 | North Petherton Somerset | B+ | 3.8 | 91% | 2.3 | 5% |
| 16 | Amlwch Gwynedd | B+ | 1.6 | 87% | 2.1 | 14% |
| 17 | Porthleven Cornwall | B+ | 1.6 | 78% | 2.5 | 19% |
| 18 | Drayton Oxfordshire | B+ | 1.7 | 100% | 3 | 3% |
| 19 | Markyate Hertfordshire | B+ | 1.4 | 100% | 2.2 | 53% |
| 20 | Wheatley Hill County Durham | B+ | 2.6 | 100% | 3 | 0% |
| 21 | Newton and Blackwell Derbyshire | B | 2.6 | 91% | 3.7 | 0% |
| 22 | Honeybourne Worcestershire | B | 2.9 | 80% | 2.6 | 14% |
| 23 | Upper Beeding West Sussex | B | 0.6 | 83% | 3.9 | 62% |
| 24 | Fleur-de-lis and Pengam Gwent | B | 6 | 54% | 4.9 | 0% |
| 25 | Weldon Northamptonshire | B | 8.2 | 100% | 1.1 | 0% |
| 26 | Newbold Verdon Leicestershire | B− | 2.3 | 100% | 2.5 | 0% |
| 27 | Bugbrooke Northamptonshire | B− | 3.7 | 80% | 3 | 0% |
| 28 | Askam in Furness Cumbria | B− | 1.7 | 90% | 2 | 0% |
| 29 | Harwell Oxfordshire | B− | 1.4 | 85% | 2.3 | 42% |
| 30 | Healing Lincolnshire | B− | 2 | 78% | 1.3 | 1% |
| 31 | Crumbles East Sussex | B− | 0.3 | 44% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 32 | Lambourn Berkshire | C+ | 1.2 | 61% | 3 | 100% |
| 33 | Etwall Derbyshire | C+ | 2.3 | 100% | 1.5 | 0% |
| 34 | Dymchurch Kent | C+ | 1.6 | 58% | 1 | 13% |
| 35 | Thaxted Essex | C | 0.8 | 91% | 3.6 | 0% |
| 36 | Swillington West Yorkshire | C | 2.2 | 68% | 3.3 | 0% |
| 37 | West Bergholt Essex | C | 1.5 | 82% | 1.8 | 9% |
| 38 | Swanmore Hampshire | C | 1.4 | 69% | 1.9 | 54% |
| 39 | Sutton Courtenay Oxfordshire | C | 1.2 | 23% | 4 | 6% |
| 40 | West Chiltington West Sussex | C | 1.5 | 18% | 2.7 | 38% |
| 41 | Bottesford Leicestershire | C | 3.9 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 42 | Haddenham Cambridgeshire | C | 2.2 | 86% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 43 | Teynham Kent | C | 0.8 | 55% | 1.8 | 13% |
| 44 | Ogmore Vale Mid Glamorgan | C | 4.3 | 79% | 0.9 | 0% |
| 45 | Cullingworth West Yorkshire | C− | 1.1 | 72% | 3.9 | 0% |
| 46 | Hadlow Kent | C− | 1.7 | 61% | 2 | 11% |
| 47 | Charvil Berkshire | C− | 0.7 | 68% | 2.7 | 6% |
| 48 | Claydon Suffolk | C− | 2.8 | 72% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 49 | Lostwithiel Cornwall | C− | 1.6 | 67% | 1.5 | 11% |
| 50 | West Auckland County Durham | C− | 1.1 | 91% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 51 | Purton Wiltshire | C− | 0.8 | 60% | 4.3 | 0% |
| 52 | South Petherton Somerset | C− | 1.1 | 61% | 3.4 | 0% |
| 53 | Rendlesham Suffolk | C− | 0.8 | 52% | 1.6 | 59% |
| 54 | Navenby Lincolnshire | D | 1.2 | 81% | 2.1 | 0% |
| 55 | Gobowen Shropshire | D | 1.2 | 50% | 1.2 | 2% |
| 56 | Skellingthorpe Lincolnshire | D | 1.2 | 69% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 57 | Queniborough Leicestershire | D | 1.4 | 48% | 1.9 | 0% |
| 58 | Kirton in Lindsey Lincolnshire | D− | 1.7 | 57% | 0.8 | 0% |
| 59 | Boroughbridge North Yorkshire | D− | 0.4 | 60% | 1.6 | 0% |
| 60 | Donington Lincolnshire | D− | 0.8 | 54% | 0.8 | 0% |
The map
Parks, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Porthleven’s built-up area.
Green space: parks, gardens, playing fields and play spaces, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · Contains OS data © Crown copyright · Natural England / NRW
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Porthleven
The biggest is Gala Parc, 1.7 ha (4 acres). Directions go to the park’s nearest public entrance where Ordnance Survey maps one.
Close to home
8 in 10 Porthleven residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace).
Within 400 m (78%)Further (22%)
Porthleven78%
Towns its size80%
Cornwall towns81%
All UK towns83%
About 700 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees; 5 playgrounds are mapped in and around the town, about one for every 624 residents.
National Parks & National Landscapes
National Parks and National Landscapes around Porthleven
Protected landscapes within 30 km, by direction and distance from the edge of the built-up area; circle size shows each one’s area. National Landscapes were called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty until 2023.
National ParkNational LandscapeThe 5 km the grade counts
National Landscape
Cornwall
At the edge north964 km²since 195919% of the land within 5 km
Official site19% of the land within 5 km of Porthleven is National Park or National Landscape, more than 77% of UK towns.
Footpaths & waymarked walks
Porthleven is on the South West Coast Path
24 km of footpaths, bridleways and rights of way are mapped in Porthleven and the kilometre around it, 2.5 km for every square kilometre (the typical UK town has 3.0). Bars show each route’s kilometres within 2 km of the town.
NationalLocal
A walk around Loe Pool, Penrose10.2 km
Higher Penrose and the Parkland walk, Penrose6.5 km
South West Coast Path (Section 26: Porthleven to The Lizard)3.9 km
Degibna and Higher Pentire walk, Penrose3.5 km
South West Coast Path (Section 25: Marazion to Porthleven)3.4 km
Helston to the Stables Café accessible woodland trail, Penrose2.3 km
Helston BR 302.3 km
Porthleven BR 182.2 km
Chyvarloe to Gunwalloe Fishing Cove, Penrose1.9 km
Plantations and parkland1.9 km
Plantations and parkland walk, Penrose1.8 km
Helston BR 311.5 km
Gunwalloe BR 101.4 km
Porthleven BR 131.2 km
Helston BR 50.9 km
Helston BR 20.8 km
Plus 1 more waymarked walk on the map.
The South West Coast Path, a national route, passes Porthleven. Close to home, the A walk around Loe Pool, Penrose has 10 km of local walk within 2 km of the town.
Waymarked walks are OpenStreetMap walking routes. Public rights of way are only as complete as the map in each area.
When to get out
The best walking months in Porthleven: May to September
The town’s 1991–2020 averages (Met Office HadUK-Grid) and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15 °C or more and little rain for the town.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | 10 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Rain (mm) | 112 | 90 | 77 | 69 | 57 | 66 | 71 | 82 | 76 | 108 | 129 | 129 |
May is the driest month (57 mm) and August the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 8 hours of daylight in December, and 129 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 10 nights a year. The climate in Porthleven →
The coast
The coast and beaches near Porthleven
38% of the area within 5 km of Porthleven is sea. 12 beaches are mapped within 5 km, 7 with a name.
Porthleven Sands0.0 mi from town
DirectionsLoe Bar0.6 mi from town
DirectionsGunwalloe Beach1.4 mi from town
DirectionsRinsey2.1 mi from town
DirectionsHendra Beach2.6 mi from town
DirectionsPraa Sands3.1 mi from town
DirectionsThe South West Coast Path passes the town.
Sea: the area outside the ONS coastline (mean high water). Bathing water quality is published by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales; check it before swimming.
Things to do
5 playgrounds
Mapped within 2 km of the town in OpenStreetMap, against the typical UK town its size per resident. Named places are listed with directions; unnamed ones are only counted.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 5
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Mill Lane Camp Sitein town
DirectionsPenrose Camp Site0.2 mi from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Next door
The outdoors in nearby towns
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles. Tap a town for its outdoors page.
HelstonMullionGoldsithneyReawlaMarazionSt ErthPorthleven
ABCDOutdoors Grade
Mullion, 5.2 miles away, grades A+, the best next door: every resident lives within 400 m of a park. Mullion has at least twice Porthleven’s green space per resident.
Questions about the outdoors in Porthleven
What is the biggest park in Porthleven?
Gala Parc, 1.7 ha (4 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the town or within 400 m of it.
Is Porthleven near a National Park?
It covers 964 km² and was designated in 1959.
What are the best walks near Porthleven?
17 waymarked walking routes pass within 2 km of the town, including the A walk around Loe Pool, Penrose, Higher Penrose and the Parkland walk, Penrose and South West Coast Path (Section 26: Porthleven to The Lizard).
How many people in Porthleven live near a park?
78% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a public park, garden or playing field (Census 2021 output areas against OS Open Greenspace). The typical UK town is 83%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Porthleven?
May to September: the longest days, the warmest afternoons and the least rain of the year, from the Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Is Porthleven good for walking?
About average for paths: 2.5 km of footpath and right of way per square kilometre, more than 46% of UK towns. For park space per person it beats 33% (1.6 ha per 1,000 residents).
How is the Outdoors Grade worked out?
From five measures, each placed among UK towns of 1,000 or more: public green space per resident, the share living near a park, National Park or National Landscape within 5 km, footpaths per square kilometre, and the sea within 5 km. It is a character grade and isn’t part of Porthleven’s overall grade.
Sources
Where Porthleven’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks and green space: Ordnance Survey OS Open Greenspace (parks and gardens, playing fields, play spaces, and their access points). Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- National Parks and National Landscapes: Natural England and Natural Resources Wales boundaries, areas and designation dates, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Footpaths, walking routes, beaches and things to do: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License (ODbL), via Geofabrik, 16 October 2026.
- Historic parks, listed buildings and monuments: Historic England, National Heritage List for England, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Rain and temperature: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the town; daylight calculated from its latitude.
- The sea: ONS Countries (December 2024) boundaries clipped to mean high water. Residents near a park: ONS Census 2021 output areas.
- Grade: TownRatings’ Outdoors Grade, ranked against UK towns only.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.