Porthmeor Beach: dogs, parking and water quality

Dogs on Porthmeor

Dogs are not allowed on Porthmeor 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September. Cornwall Council lists it as “Porthmeor Beach, St Ives”. The council publishes a map of the restricted area (PDF).

Outside those dates and times the council restriction does not apply, but signs on the beach and Cornwall’s other dog orders (such as picking up after your dog) still do. The council says breaking a dog order can lead to a £100 fixed penalty notice (council penalties page).

See every council dog restriction in Cornwall.

Parking near Porthmeor

Cornwall Council car parks within about 1.5 km of the Environment Agency’s sampling point for Porthmeor, nearest first. Distances are straight-line estimates from our own calculation, not walking routes.

Parking near many Cornish beaches is run by the National Trust, parish councils or private owners. We have not checked those yet, so they are not listed. Charges change, so we do not quote prices: each council page has current tariffs. All Cornwall Council car parks.

Water quality at Porthmeor

The Environment Agency rated Porthmeor Excellent in its 2025 classification. Ratings for the last four years:

The 2026 bathing season ran from 15 May 2026 to 30 September 2026, with 15 samples planned at Porthmeor.

• Porthmeor: no daily pollution risk forecasts are made here. The EA says a warning would still be issued if a pollution incident happened.

Source: Environment Agency bathing water profile, Open Government Licence v3.0. See every Cornish bathing water rating.

About Porthmeor

The Environment Agency describes the bathing water like this:

Porthmeor is the main tourist beach in St Ives on the north coast of Cornwall. It is a sandy beach resort, approximately 640 metres wide, close to the town.

Quoted from the Environment Agency bathing water profile, Open Government Licence v3.0. Beach material recorded by the EA: sand. Designated as a bathing water in 1988.

Safety and tides

Whether a lifeguard is on duty depends on the beach and the date. Cornwall Council says the RNLI’s main lifeguard season runs from May to September and varies from beach to beach, so check the RNLI’s lifeguarded beach finder before you go. We do not list lifeguard dates until we can check them.

The council points visitors to BBC tide tables for tide times. In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard (HM Coastguard). More in our beach safety guide.

Getting to Porthmeor by train

The nearest National Rail station to the Environment Agency’s sampling point for Porthmeor is St Ives, about 820 m (0.5 miles) away in a straight line. That is close enough that some people walk, but check the route and terrain first. The three nearest stations:

Straight-line distance, our own calculation from OpenStreetMap station locations (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). It is not a walking or road route. Station links go to National Rail for times and facilities. See beaches near a railway station.

Where is Porthmeor?

Nearby beaches

• Porthgwidden520 m (0.3 miles) away · No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August · water Excellent
• Porthminster890 m (0.6 miles) away · No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September · water Excellent
• Carbis Bay2.3 km (1.4 miles) away · No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September · water Excellent
• Porthkidney Sands3.9 km (2.4 miles) away · Check the council map: a nearby listed area has dog rules · water Excellent

Photos

Quick answers

Are dogs allowed on Porthmeor?

No dogs 10am–6pm, 15 May – 30 September, under Cornwall Council’s dog orders. Outside those times the council restriction does not apply, but check signs on the beach.

Is the water clean at Porthmeor?

The Environment Agency rated Porthmeor Excellent in 2025. During the bathing season (15 May 2026 to 30 September 2026 in 2026) it publishes sample results online.

Where can I park for Porthmeor?

The nearest Cornwall Council car park we found is Porthmeor, St Ives (TR26 1JU), about 110 m (0.1 miles) away in a straight line. Check the council page for charges.

What is the nearest railway station to Porthmeor?

The nearest National Rail station is St Ives, about 820 m (0.5 miles) away in a straight line (our calculation from OpenStreetMap data).