12 of the best beaches in Wales
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Wales has some of the most dramatic coastlines in the world, with hundreds of hidden coves and bays. Yet many of the best beaches in Wales remain little known and rarely visited. Make the effort to find them and your reward will be some of the best beaches in the UK complete with Robinson Crusoe seclusion, pristine sands, sublime snorkelling and some of the best UK walking trails. On these wild beaches, you won’t find lifeguards, so take care when swimming and check the tide times carefully – many beaches are at their best at low tide but can disappear altogether as the waves come back in.
The best beaches in Wales at a glance
Best for walking: Aberffraw
Best for sea caves: Mewled & Fall Bay
Best for wild camping: Porth Iago
Best for snorkelling: Broad Haven coves
Best for surfing: Westdale Bay
Best for children: Aber Rhigian
Best for views: Pen-y-Banc
AlamyAberffraw (Traeth Mawr), Anglesey
Best for: scenic strolls
This long, sandy bay is flanked by rocky headlands and backed by wildlife-rich dunes. Access is by foot only, along the bank of the River Ffraw. The Anglesey Coastal Path runs from the beach in both directions. It’s one of the best dog-friendly beaches in the UK, with magnificent views.
Getting there: From Aberffraw (car park E off the A4080), cross the bridge and walk to the beach via the dune footpath. 53.1820, -4.4627
Where to stay: A right turn over Menai Bridge will take you to Château Rhianfa, a smart hotel pulled straight out of a fairytale kingdom. The property was inspired by Lady Sarah’s sketches of the châteaus of the Loire Valley, and today is as a launchpad of travellers on their visits to Anglesey.
Getty ImagesGinst Point (Laugharne Sands), Carmarthen Bay
Best for: evening adventures
Only open between 4pm and 8am, access to this shell beach is managed by the Ministry of Defence. It’s often blissfully empty, but be wary of strong tides. Poet Dylan Thomas’s boathouse is nearby in Laugharne, and to the west are the better-known Pendine Sands.
Getting there: Turn off the A4066 (with signs for hotels including Corran Resort & Spa) and follow this road through the Ministry of Defence gates. Keep left for two miles to reach the car park. 51.7435, -4.4232
Where to stay: Less than a 15-minute drive away, in the village of Laugharne, sits The Cors Country House. Ideal for hosting large groups and families, the five-bedroom property has a cinema room, a well-equipped kitchen, and 2.5 acres of manicured gardens. One for TV buffs, the former restaurant also featured in the BBC's critically acclaimed Keeping Faith.
AlamyTraeth Soden (Cwm Silio), Cardigan, Ceredigion
Best for: tranquility
Locals call this sand-and-shingle smuggler’s cove at the end of a beautiful valley the Secret Beach. At low tide, you can walk to another little bay to the north, or confident swimmers can swim to it. To the south is Castell Bach, part of an Iron Age hill fort with ramparts.
Getting there: Follow signs for Cwmtydu from A487. Park on the roadside near St Tysilio’s Church and take the path through churchyard into a wooded valley. Continue on the opposite side of the valley and follow the path to the beach. 52.1985, -4.3977.
Where to stay: At Shipshape riverside hotel The Albion in one of Wales’ most characterful towns, Cardigan.
AlamySixpenny Beach, Anglesey
Best for: canoe trips
On Anglesey’s south-west corner, this half-moon beach is almost inaccessible without a boat. The largest of six secret sandy coves, you could canoe here from Malltraeth village.
Getting there: From Aberffraw (car park E off the A4080), head towards Aberffraw beach via the dunes footpath, then follow the foreshore one mile south-east. Or canoe from Malltraeth, paddling south-west out of the Afon Cefni river towards Aberffraw. 53.1618, -4.4454
Daniel StartMewled & Fall Bay, Gower
Best for: sea caves
Pass ancient cave shelters along this pretty valley walk to reach a narrow low-tide cove. Climb up and over via the promontory fort to Fall Bay and explore the Giant’s Cave, popular with climbers. Both beaches connect at low tide for an easy return.
Getting there: In Pitton, a mile before Rhossili on the B4247, turn left opposite SA3 1PH for Mewslade car park and take the footpath on the right to Mewslade. Or walk in from Worm’s Head, or via the footpath from Rhossili Bunkhouse. 51.5604, -4.2823
Where to stay: Between the bustling streets of Swansea and the tranquil coastal paths around the Gower Peninsula's bays is Parc le Breos, a unique bed and breakfast set in the grounds of a Norman deer park. If you have enough time be sure to book in for dinner at Beach House Restaurant in Oxwich – it has the only Michelin star for miles around.
Daniel StartPorth Wen, Anglesey
Best for: ruins
Ynys Môn (Anglesey) is an ancient island steeped in antiquity, with lush farmlands ringed by a golden beaches, islands and coves. The dramatic ruins of an old brickworks overlook this superb hidden bay with its iridescent white-quartz beach. There’s an old harbour and dome-shaped beehive kilns to explore, and you can also snorkel through a great white rock arch.
Getting there: Take the first right off the A5025, two miles west of Bull Bay, before LL67 0NA. After 850 yards, by a left bend, you’ll find two footpath signs on the right. Take the second up the track, then descend to the bay (550 yards). 53.4245, -4.4061
Daniel StartPorth Iago, Lleyn Peninsula
Best for: wild camping
Time stands still on this wonderfully rural peninsula and Iago is one of its best secret coves – and indeed one of the best beaches in Wales. West-facing, sheltered, with fine sands, clear waters and an ancient hill fort lookout above, it is a remote escape for the keenest of beach-hunters. You can even wild-camp here: just pay the honesty-box fee as you pass through the farm. A walk west along the coast leads to the popular white-sand bay of Porth Oer (‘Whistling Sands’), where there’s a little shop and café.
Getting there: Signed 1½ miles north-east of Rhoshirwaun on the B4413. Take the second right after 2½ miles, then the first left, signed Iago (LL53 8LP), then the second track on the left through Ty Mawr Farm. Parking is £5, or walk from Whistling Sands. 52.8516, -4.7217
Daniel StartPen-y-Banc, Borth-Y-Gest, Snowdonia
Best for: the view
With tidal pools, rocky islets and soaring Snowdonia mountains as the backdrop, this beach boasts some of the best views in Wales and is very easy to reach. Curlews, redshanks and flocks of sandwich terns also visit in summer. This is a tidal estuary, so beware of strong currents.
Getting there: In Borth-y-Gest (signed from Porthmadog), park in the seafront car park (LL49 9TU) and follow the road, then the path, south around the headland down to the shore. 52.9110, -4.1414
Where to stay: Castell Deudraeth is a 20-minute drive around the bay. The Gothic castle is certainly one of the more unique stays on offer in the Snowdonia region, with rooms overlooking a Victorian walled garden.
Daniel StartYnyslas Dunes, Ceredigion
Best for: dunes and wildlife
On a sandy peninsula at the mouth of the Dovey estuary, this vast beach is backed by huge dunes rich with orchids in May and June, skylarks and sand lizards in summer and fungi in autumn. If you have a canoe, venture upstream into the wilds of the estuary’s pools and sand flats, or across to pretty Aberdovey for an ice cream.
Getting there: Follow the B4353 from Borth or Tre’rddôl and take the turn on the bend, past SY24 5JZ, to the park on the beach (keeping an eye on the tide). 52.5269, -4.0521
Where to Stay: Just a 30 minute drive away lies the charming university town of Aberystwyth. Nanteos Country House Hotel is one of the most charming properties nearby and has sprawling suites where beds are draped in Egyptian linen and chandeliers twirl from the ceilings.
Daniel StartBroad Haven coves, Bosherston, South Pembrokeshire
Best for: snorkelling
One of the most beautiful places in Wales, Broad Haven beach is one of the best in south Pembrokeshire, backed with limestone sea caves and vast lily ponds. Just to the west are two secret coves, Trevallen and Little Horn, connected by a sea cave. An offshore island called Church Rock is fun to swim to, and there are rock ledges for jumping and snorkelling. To the east is a huge blue crater connected to the sea by a cave at mid-tide – a real wild swimming adventure.
Getting there: From the B4319 follow signs to Bosherston, then turn left after St Govan’s Inn (SA71 5DZ). The path to the coves is below the MoD range hut five minutes north. 51.6079, -4.9204
Where to stay: A short drive inland, via the town of Haverfordwest, is The Grove Narberth. Hidden among the county's rolling hills, the hotel has individually designed rooms, stunning gardens, and a fine dining restaurant perfect for post-swim multi-course meals.
Daniel StartAber Rhigian, Newport, North Pembrokeshire
Best for: children
Reach this secluded cove via a pretty streamside walk through ancient forest. A clear freshwater pool forms behind the beach, perfect for paddling, playing and dam-making. Head west along the coast to Aberfforest and find a waterfall in the woods behind, or continue on to Dinas Island for a steep walk with sweeping views.
Getting there: A mile west of Newport on the A487. Park on the wide verge on the right by the farm track turning for SA42 0SS. Follow the track 200 yards, turn left down to the house (300 yards) and take the gate to the woodland walk. Or you can walk from Newport. 52.0195, -4.8688
Daniel StartWestdale Bay, Dale, South Pembrokeshire
Best for: surfing
Dale is one of the lesser-known seaside villages in Pembrokeshire, but it has a lively sailing school and great pub. A short walk over the fields is Westdale, a superb surf beach with beautiful sunsets and an Iron Age hill fort. Beware of rip currents in surf conditions.
Getting there
At the end of the B4327 in Dale, park and walk along Castle Way or Blue Anchor Way to the single-track road from Castle Way, opposite the church (west of SA62 3RN) – or there’s limited parking and turning space up at the road end. 51.7083, -5.1873
Daniel StartDaniel Start is the co-author of Wild Guide Wales and the Marches: Hidden Places, Great Adventures and the Good Life (Wild Things Publishing, £16.99), which features more than 600 wild and secret places to visit.
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