Thanks to the influx of well-known residents and visitors, Mawgan Porth has been nicknamed Hollywood by the Sea.
Cate Blanchett, Chris Martin and Jason Momoa are among the celebrities with homes or rumoured to be considering buying in Mawgan Porth.
This has resulted in journalist visits to the beautiful bay for write-ups in national newspapers, fuelling speculation and adding even more pressure on local house prices.
But what is it really like living in Mawgan Porth? As a long-time resident and fan of ‘Mawgies’, as we locals call it, I thought it was time to set the record straight.
It’s hard to decide if this celebrity status is exciting news or to the detriment of the laidback little seaside village on the doorstep of Cool Cornwall’s HQ. We’ve read some pretty slating articles about how the celebs are annoying the locals, making our lives a misery and changing our cool coastal hamlet. There are a lot of negatives to the arrival of the rich and famous, but these articles don’t paint a true picture of what it’s really like living here in Mawgan Porth.
Now, I can’t consider myself a true ‘local’ as I’m not third generation born and bred in Mawgan Porth. Although my son’s family are. And it’s true, locals are fast being priced out of their homes, and I’ll never be able to afford a house here – or anywhere nearby, for that matter. Property prices are amongst some of the highest in the UK, putting them out the reach of most mere mortals. Which is, perhaps, why the likes of Aquaman are coming to town.
It’s no surprise that locals are selling up to developers offering them enough to live out their happily-ever-after elsewhere. Traditional seaside homes are being torn down and replaced by multi-million-pound Lego blocks incongruous with the beautiful beach. Big, boxy mansions – many of them uninhabited for much of the year – are snapping up the finest views over our sandy, surf-lashed bay. Views most of us will only dream of ever waking up to.
Melbourne-born Blanchett and her Australian playwright husband Andrew Upton bought a beach-side cottage here (for around £1.6 million) in 2020, and it’s taken three years to demolish and rebuild it as a ‘discreet’ and ‘sustainable’ eco home.
Celebrities, Londoners, wannabes – they’re all here shapeshifting our shabby-chic surfing Mecca with their (not-so) Grand Designs.
Celebrities, Londoners, wannabes – they’re all here shapeshifting our shabby-chic surfing Mecca with their (not-so) Grand Designs. And while the lights are out in most houses on a winter’s evening when I walk the dog, during the daytime the sounds of crashing waves and howling winds have been replaced by incessant drilling and banging. Not to mention the trucks that block the narrow lanes, delivering supplies to the building sites with little thought to locals going about their business.
Personally, I haven’t bumped into anyone famous on the beach (and I spend a lot of time there), so I’m not sure they’re aware of all the noise, chaos and destruction happening on a daily basis for the benefit of their million-pound homes. Or the irony of native flora being cleared so that it doesn’t obstruct their expensive sea views, while cranes stand tall and ugly in the way of the horizon. The cliffs are creaking. The house prices are soaring. The locals are being squeezed out. It’s all true.
But despite all of this, Mawgan Porth really is an incredible place to live. I’ve been lucky enough to bring up my family here, against the tide of the developments and rising house prices. So I can’t blame the likes of Blanchett and Co. for wanting to buy their little slice of our paradise.
At the heart of Mawgan Porth, as well as the beach, is a strong, tight-knit community entrenched in the coastal and farming lifestyle.
At the heart of Mawgan Porth, as well as the beach, is a strong, tight-knit community entrenched in the coastal and farming lifestyle. Traditions run deep here, from community surf comps to charity pram races and Christmas markets – traditions that have long been lost in communities nationwide.
Our little village is cut into a coastal valley where the River Menalhyl flows out to sea, past a tiny huddle of beachfront businesses – a pub, newsagent-cum-surf hire, surf school, overpriced mini market and a handful of cafés and restaurants.
Here, on any day in summer or winter, locals stop to chat, dog walkers meet, sea swimmers dip, beer drinkers gather. It’s lively. And friendly. And – as becomes apparent in the yearly dusting of snow or events that cut us off from the wider world – there’s everything you need here without stepping outside the valley.
The beach is the heart of it all. Facing directly west, it catches the brunt of the Atlantic swell, that brings powerful, disorderly surf, only occasionally groomed into A-frame peaks. Rip currents, rocks and a funnel-shaped sandy cove mean that the lifeguards have their work cut out for them. It’s wild. It’s rugged. And it’s mind-bogglingly beautiful.
Trace the coast path up sheer cliffs in either direction to inaccessible coves where rock giants rise from the sea floor, and the territory is reigned by oystercatchers, fulmars and choughs. Places where wildlife rules and no development can halt the spread of wild gorse, sea pinks and salt-hardy shrubs that take over the land.
Turn your back on the beach to walk through the tree-lined valley, and you’ll find the bucolic setting of St Mawgan, where the community school is so idyllic that it’s often used as a film set.
On the way, you’ll pass The Park, where there’s an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, state-of-the-art sauna and steam room, and a homely café where the log fire welcomes locals throughout the winter months. You couldn’t dream up better facilities for a beach village.
Up the hill in Trevarrian, the holiday park has a bowling alley, swimming pool, football pitches, tennis courts, soft play and a bar. So you don’t even have to break out to nearby Newquay for family entertainment.
Really, Mawgan Porth is paradise. Places like this have become a prime commodity, sadly being bulldozed by clueless developers. But we can’t blame Cate and her mates for all our woes. I’ve heard that Blanchett is also enhancing the area by investing in our much-needed Surf Lifesaving Club. If Beckham decides to move in, perhaps he can do the same for the local football squad.
The reality is that the cost of beachfront property is mushrooming worldwide, making it out of reach for most of us. The chasm between rich and poor is ever widening. And that’s not just because of the movie stars who can afford to have exactly what they want. So while some can afford to build a swanky pad on the cliffs, you can’t bulldoze the community and natural environment that makes Mawgan Porth so special.
This boozer by the beach is where you’ll rub shoulders with the locals over Cornish-brewed ales, big breakfasts and traditional pub grub.
From Fizz and Chips to Roasts on the Coast, this beachside restaurant does it all. Relaxed and dog-friendly, but the prices do reflect the influx of celebs in town.
A cosy 18th-century pub at the top of the hill, serving a decent selection of beers from near and far, with a popular Sunday carvery and a pool table.
Strike out along the clifftops to see the rock giants rising from the sand at Bedruthan Steps, and make sure you take a Cornish Cream tea stop at this family-run café in the National Trust car park.
Coffee and cake beside the fire on a winter’s day, lazy lunches and big breakfasts after a surf. This family-friendly affair welcomes dogs and has an indoor pool with a sauna and steam room, too.
Soak up eye-popping scenery as you hug the cliff-tops along undulating terrain to the neighbouring surfing Mecca of Watergate Bay, keeping your eyes peeled for seabirds, seals and dolphins at the inaccessible Beacon Cove.
Turn your back on the beach and follow the footpath along a burbling stream, tunnelling through woodland to the idyllic village of St Mawgan, with its 13th-century church, Japanese garden and historic country inn.
While Mawgan Porth isn’t the easiest surf break in the area, the waves here are less crowded than Newquay’s main spots, making it an ideal spot for learners to hit the whitewater and get to grips with standing up. If you want to become king of the waves, there are no better instructors than the team of passionate, enthusiastic surfers behind Kingsurf Surf School.
Indulge in a spa experience that embraces the elements at Cornwall’s bedrock of eco luxury, the Scarlet, or its sister hotel, Bedruthan. Relax in a cliff-top hot tub, rejuvenate in the Sensory Spa Garden, or enjoy a massage or spa treatment. Day Spa experiences and deals, including lunch or dinner, are available at both.
A leisure complex with cottages, eco-cabins and cool caravans, a short stroll from the beach.
If you can afford a house in Mawgan Porth, you can afford a night two at this eco sanctity with stunning sea views and a price tag to meet its reputation.
Somewhere between the two, this luxury family hotel has all the whistles of an indoor/ outdoor pool, spa, sea view dining and lovely lounges.
