Southwest coastal walks: Porth Joke, near West Pentire, north Cornwall

Porth Joke – known locally as Polly Joke – is a long, wide, unspoilt beach that burrows deep into green, craggy hills between Pentire Point West and Kelsey Head. Its large expanse of sand means that it’s ideal for those looking for a leisurely day of lounging, while its proximity to the surf resorts of the North Cornish coast means that it gets a board-worthy battering from the Atlantic waves, too. There are plenty of secluded nooks and crannies to be found here, though its most secret spot emerges at mid- to low tide, when a swim around rocks leads to a truly cut-off space in which the outside world seemingly ceases to exist. Our suggested walk leads around Pentire Point West, and offers fabulous views over Crantock Beach and the River Gannel estuary.

Getting there
From the A30, travel north on the B3075 and, just before Newquay, turn left to Crantock and West Pentire. Follow the road all the way to West Pentire and leave your vehicle in the car park. Charges vary, depending on the length of stay.

Walk grade: Easy

Distance: 1.5 miles

Time: 30 mins

The route:
Come out of the car park at West Pentire and turn right down the road you came in on. Take the first left turning.

Go through the kissing gate and, 100 metres further on, turn left onto the coastal path.

Follow it over a footbridge and on the right you will see the short beach-access path.

Walk through the field that runs along the headland on the far side of the beach.

Near the front of the headland, you’ll see a hillock, behind which you’ll find rocks that you can scramble down to the sand.

To continue with our route, cross back over the footbridge and, after 50 metres, take the path on your left. Follow this for 20 minutes around Pentire Point West.

When the path splits, turn right towards West Pentire village and return to the path you set out on. This will lead back to your car.

The beach

Seclusion: 3

Sand: 5

Rockpools and caves: 4

Swimming: 5

Ebb & flow
The sheer depth of the beach means that plenty of sandy areas remain accessible in all but the highest of tides. To take full advantage of its attractions, though, visit at mid- to low tide.

OS Map Beach Ref
SW 772,605

Car park postcode
TR8 5SE

The pitstop
Set on a headland, looking down on the wide, golden sands of Crantock Beach, The Bowgie Inn is an attractive, slate-roofed building that seems to have outgrown its pub origins and become something of a low-key entertainment complex. It has three bars – the oak-beamed Pigsty, surf-themed Ocean and more classic Conservatory – as well as an outdoor terrace and beer garden. And though the eclectic menu on offer throughout (which offers everything from homemade steak-and-kidney pie to cheese-and-pineapple toasties), can sometimes seem as bewildering and sprawling as the venue itself, there’s a laid-back sense of fun to it all. And you can’t argue with the views.
The Bowgie Inn, West Pentire, Crantock, Cornwall TR8 5SE (01637 830363; www.bowgie.com)

This walk is taken from 'Secret Beaches Southwest – 50 Short Walks to Secluded Shores' by Rob Smith (One More Grain Of Sand). The book is available at www.secretbeaches.co.uk, at £14.95 (including p&p).