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5/5 Paws
Treat your pal to a dog-friendly escape at The Harbour Inn – a St Austell Brewery-owned pub-with-rooms – positioned on the harbourside in the charming fishing village of Porthleven – the UK’s most southerly port – nestled between Land’s End and Lizard Point; a great spot for exploring Cornwall’s wild west, the south coast and the stunning Lizard Peninsula.
A traditional pub and a cosy home-from-home at the hub of the harbour, The Harbour Inn is a stylish bolthole to unwind whilst taking in stunning coastal views – think natural materials, rich colour palettes and sumptuous bedding with a nautical thread throughout. Dogs are welcomed in a number of the boutique-style bedrooms where you will find a water bowl and welcome pack with treats, Proper Dog beer, ball, feeding mat and poop bags. Bedrooms are set above a large dog-friendly restaurant, bar and beer garden, with a seasonal pop-up hut and additional harbourside seating adjacent, serving wood-fired pizza and Cornish Ale. Enjoy staying at the heart of the village, just a stick’s throw from the harbour, lined with an array of independents, selling handcrafted goods.
The pretty coastal harbour of Porthleven is a joy to explore – wander along the harbour walls and watch the waves rolling in before venturing to beaches within a paw’s reach that will be sure to have your pup’s tail wagging. There’s a host of dog-friendly beaches in and around the village; Porthleven Beach, just over the harbour wall is ideal if your friend needs a quick run around during your stay. The eastern side allows dogs year-round, while there is a short seasonal ban in place on the west side (the harbour wall to blue buoy) between July and the end of August in the daytime. Some other dog-friendly beaches we enjoy are St Michael’s Mount and Marizion Beach – 20 minutes’ drive will take you to the expansive sands and panoramic views across Mount’s Bay – and Praa Sands, just ten-minutes’ drive west of Porthleven, where you will find tropical white sands backed by rolling sand dunes that protect the south-west facing stretch from strong winds.
The latter is a south coast hotspot for surfers and at high tide, the shallow waters provide a great space for fearless pubs as they paddle and splash. A seasonal dog ban applies here, but you can still make the most of the sunrises and sunsets all year-round.
Your canine pals will be spoilt for choice with so many brilliant walking routes, either starting – or just a short drive – from The Harbour Inn and Porthleven. We particularly love the walk to Lizard Point, a breathtaking stretch of coastline passing through both Mullion and Kynance Cove. We also enjoy the Loe circular walk starting at Porthleven Downs car park, the seven-mile stomp is a mostly level lakeside walk around Loe, taking in Cornwall’s largest natural freshwater lake. There’s an optional shortcut through Loe Marsh cutting the distance to about five-miles – a gorgeous walk in spring time when the woods are carpeted in bluebells.
We can also recommend Loe Bar, just west of Porthleven – it’s a 30-minute stretch along the coast path, following the flint and shingle beach (it’s worth noting that the Loe Bar isn’t recommend for swimming due to strong currents). For more of a leg-stretcher, there’s the walk to Poldhu Cove – an hour and 45-minutes trek from Porthleven to the Lizard Heritage Coast; take a pit-stop at the beautiful Gunwalloe before setting off on the final jaunt where you will find Poldhu Beach Café, open 363 days of the year, serving coffee, cake and breakfast baps.
Other walks we rate include St Ives to Zennor, Sennen Cove to Land’s End and Purssua Cove to Perranuthnoe.
Dine with your friend at your side in the large, open restaurant and bar or on one of the many outdoor spaces, overlooking the harbour. Expect seasonal pub-classics within a wide selection of freshly prepared dishes, served throughout the day, including a daily-changing specials, offering fish and shellfish, caught from the day-boats.
Porthleven is an up and coming foodie destination, home to myriad independent cafes and restaurants. We love Kota Restaurant, a 3 AA Rosette offering, headed up by Jude Kereama positioned right on the harbourside – dogs are welcome to join you on the outside terrace, making a great spot to enjoy some fancy seafood with an Asian influence. There’s also the little sister offering – Kota Kai bar and kitchen for more low key dining, where dogs are welcomed at Kai on The Green – an outdoor space, designed for relaxed dining overlooking the harbour.
Expect a diverse range of dishes including more traditional menu flavours such as the Kiwi Burger and Fish and fish and chips, created with Jude’s multiple influences.
For coffee lovers, Porthleven is the home of award-winning, Origin Coffee, where you will find a small dog-friendly café on the harbourside as well as the Roastery HQ, just a 15-minute walk from the centre – also welcoming dogs – you can enjoy your favourite brew outside or in, where you can tuck into home-baked cakes, pastries and deli-style sandwiches, along with a selection of house blends, allowing you to choose and grind your own beans to take home.
£15 per dog, per night at The Harbour Inn. Or enjoy a Ter-ruff-ic discount – stay for three-nights or more and the price reduces to £10 per dog, per night and five-nights or more is just £7 per dog, per night. A pawesome deal!
I loved The Harbour Inn for its brilliant position, seaside sniffs, friendliest staff and pawesome welcome pack. The cosy room is great for hunkering down, and just a few minutes’ walk takes you to some great beaches where you can pick up the South West Coast Path.
I enjoyed a Proper Dog beer on arrival, and a breakfast sausage the following morning – plenty to wag about at this harbourside-hub!
5/5 Paws
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