Visiting Porthcurno with your dog

Our pawprint rating system

We’ve been working on making it easier for you to find out how dog-friendly your visit will be before you and your four-legged friend arrive. To help with this, we've created a new pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. You can find this information in the National Trust members’ handbook.

Porthcurno is a one pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to stretch their legs in the car park and walk in the nearby open spaces, depending on the season. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go at Porthcurno?

Dogs are welcome across the whole site, with restrictions on the beach in July and August from 10am to 6pm.

What do I need to be aware of?

Porthcurno is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, both on land and in the sea. With this in mind we ask visitors to keep your dog on a short lead to keep wildlife disturbance to a minimum, whilst still being able to enjoy a good walk up and around the valley, the coast path and beach.

Please pick up and dispose of dog poo appropriately, either using the bins in the car park or take home to dispose, helping us keep Porthcurno clean and beautiful for everyone to enjoy.

You are also advised not to leave your pet in the car, as the car park offers limited shade.

Canine Code

To make sure that everyone has an enjoyable day, please follow our Canine Code:

• Take the lead: help reduce the chance of your dog disturbing wildlife by keeping them on a lead
• Scoop that poop: bag it and bin it to keep your favourite places beautiful
• Paws for thought: look out for information signs (and take extra care on cliff paths)
• Be on the ball: not everyone loves dogs, so keep them close by

Keeping control of your dog

Our definition of close or effective control is: ​

• Being able to recall your dogs in any situation at the first call
• Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into the undergrowth or over the crest of the hill). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible
• Not allowing them to approach other visitors without their consent
• Having a lead with you to use if you encounter livestock or wildlife, or if you are asked to use one