Porthtowan is a small village in Cornwall, England which is a popular summer tourist destination. Porthtowan is on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast about 2km west of St Agnes, 4km north of Redruth, 10km west of Truro and 15km south-west of Newquay in the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, a World Heritage Site.Porthtowan is popular with surfers and industrial archaeologists; former mine stacks and engine houses dot the landscape.GeographyPorthtowan lies along the 627ha Godrevy Head to St Agnes heritage coast, which is located on the north Cornwall coast of the Celtic Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between Godrevy Head (with the Godrevy Towans) and St Agnes Head, north of the village of St Agnes. The Godrevy to St Agnes Heritage Coast has been a nationally designated protected area since 1986. The marine site protects 40 species of mammals and amphibians.Porthtowan is within walking distance of National Trust coastal and cliff-side walks. Between Porthtowan and Agnes Head is one of Cornwall's "largest remaining heathland." Ironically, the heath survived – and was not turned into arable land – because of the soil contamination of previous mining activities. Few plants or species other than heathers and spiders can thrive in the area's environmental condition.
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