Author Matthew Yeomans explores his favourite Welsh Beaches
I've walked over 400 miles around the coast of Wales exploring our relationship to the sea and how it has shaped life in Wales for my new book, Seascape: Notes from a Changing Coastline. Along the way I've visited countless numbers of beautiful beaches. Personally, I'm intrigued not just by their natural beauty but also the history and stories behind these coastal haunts, and the feelings that visiting them evoke. Here, then, are my top 20 beaches to visit when you're in Wales.
1. The Bendricks
Not a swimming beach but a dinosaur-rich slice of coastal beauty hidden just outside the town of Barry in South Wales. Gavin & Stacey’s Barry Island might get all the attention but it’s Bendricks has the greater claim to fame: it was here in in 1974 that palaeontologists first identified three- toed dinosaur footprints dating back 220 million years and belonging to theropods known as Grallators. Nowadays it's a good place to wander along the rocks and soak up the edge of the Severn Estuary.
2. Southerndown
This is one the largest beaches situated on what is known as the Glamorgan Heritage Coast – so named because of its geological, ecological, archaeological and historical significance. This whole coastline once was the playground of the gentry and also the hunting grounds of local pirates. Today, beach lovers rule these sands and quite right too. But if you want to step back into the past, the ruins of Dunraven Castle and its gardens stand ready to be explored up on the hill above.
3. Rotherslade
A tall, rounded slab of limestone sits at the heart of Rotherslade, one of the many little coves that dot the Gower coast. It's called Storr Rock and was one of the muses for the French impressionist pater, Arthur Sisley. When I was a kid, climbing this rock was a rite of passage – I finally conquered it at age 10! My knees were scraped and battered by digging into the barnacled rock face for traction but I made it. Today, Storr Rock remains a beacon for ambitious young kids.
4. Pobbles
It's the sand that I most love about Pobbles Beach, an extension of the much larger Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower. There's something about how the thin outer crust of the hardened sand crumbles with each step, so that your feet sink into the soft sublayer below. It's like walking on the crust of a creme brûlée - though a lot less sticky!
5. Tenby South Beach
One of the most iconic beaches in Pembrokeshire – a long expanse of sand located below the cliffs of Tenby Esplanade and stretching out along the coast towards the village of Penally. A favourite family beach for swimming and games, South Beach also offers great views of Caldey Island – home to an ancient Cistercian monastery.
6. Barafundle Bay
Arguably the most photographed beach in Wales, this secluded cove with crystal clear water is only reachable on foot, which keeps the tourist throngs away at least some of the year. Barafundle is located on the south Pembrokeshire coast and is accessible on a trail that leads from the National Trust car park at Stackpole Quay. The excellent Stackpole Inn is nearby too.
7. Freshwater West
Facing the full brunt of the Atlantic, Freshwater West is a dramatic sweep of sandy coast flanked by tall dunes. Here the waves roll in with an exciting intensity that makes it a favourite surfing haunt. Film scouts love it as well – and scenes from both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films were shot here.
8. Whitesands
Another Mecca for surfers and wave enthusiasts, Whitesands Bay lies at the westerly edge of Pembrokeshire, a few miles outside of the cathedral city of St David's. This once was the site of a 6th century chapel dedicated to St. Patrick. Today, people make the pilgrimage just to celebrate one of Wales' finest sandy beaches.
9. Traeth Llyfn
Another hidden favourite. Traeth ('beach' in Welsh) Llyfn is located halfway between the very popular hamlet of Abereiddy (home of the Blue Lagoon) and the village of Porthgain. It's only accessible by foot and involves a steep climb down a set of steps to, but once here, your journey is rewarded by a stretch of almost untouched and tranquil Pembrokeshire natural beauty.
10. Mwnt
A few miles north of Aberteifi – in Ceredigion – sits a pretty, secluded bay and an ancient holy site, Eglwys y Grog ('Church of the Holy Cross'). Mwnt is named after the hill that rises above the beach and is popular with campers, day-trippers and Wales Coast Path walkers, who come here in the summer months to watch a regular procession of dolphins heading up and down the coast.
11. Llangrannog
Another fine Ceredigion beach and old fishing village. One of its claims to fame is the legend of a local giant, Bica, who, suffering from severe toothache, spat out the offending tooth onto the sand. Today, that tooth is the large Carreg Bica rock that sits like a seaside Leaning Tower of Pisa between Llangrannog and Cilborth beaches.
12. Ynyslas
Ynyslas sits at the mouth of the Dyfi estuary as it flows out into Cardigan Bay. This beachfront destination offers access to a series of walking trails through the largest sand dunes in Ceredigion and a biodiversity-rich raised peat bog called Cors Fochno. A word of caution though: the car park is right on the beach and floods at high tides.
13. Harlech
There are many great beaches in Wales but few feature a castle view quite as impressive as the one at Harlech. Seen from the dunes, Harlech Castle is a truly imposing site, as it commands views up and down the coast. When it was first built by the Normans, though, it sat right by the ocean. Two hundred years of major storms in the 14th and 15th centuries, however, created immense sand dunes and cut off the castle from the sea, so that now it lies half a mile inland.
14. Traeth Bach - Portmeirion
When the tide goes out, the bright yellow sands of Traeth Bach stretch almost the entirety of the estuary that sits below the idyllic, Italianate village of Portmeirion in Gwynedd. It was here where Patrick McGoohan sprinted along the sands in a desperate attempt to escape his mysterious captors in the cult TV series, The Prisoner. A word of caution, though. When the tide comes back in, it does so very quickly so check times to stay safe.
15. Porthdinllaen
Imagine you've just completed a breezy but beautiful walk around the Porthdinllaen headland on the north coast of the Llyn Peninsula. What could be better than to discover a great old beachfront pub and have a drink on the sand watching the waves lap in. That's what you get at the Ty Coch ('Red House'), located metres away from a sheltered cove that affords views of the picturesque coastline as it veers north towards Caernarfon.
16. Llanddwyn
One of the signature (and most popular) beaches in all of Ynys Môn or Anglesey, this wide bay offers spectacular views of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. At the far end of the beach is the islet of Ynys Llanddwyn, named after Dwynwen, a Welsh saint who sought out a hermitage by the coast – her isolation borne out of a desire to escape a forbidden love. Today, she is considered the Welsh patron saint of lovers. The beach, meanwhile, has its own allure. Reached by a road that winds through Newborough Warren and Forest, it’s a favourite for families, windsurfers and kitesurfers.
17. Traeth Lligwy
This wide sandy bay might be one of the most relaxing destinations in all of Ynys Môn or Anglesey, with locals and tourists heading here year-round to enjoy the pristine sand and sea. But Traeth Lligwy also has a darker story to tell. It was on the jagged rocks at the end of the beach that the Royal Charter ran aground during a violent storm in 1859. Hundreds lost their lives but out of the tragedy came an innovation that is still relevant today - the Shipping Forecast!
18. Red Wharf Bay
Situated on the southeast shore of Anglesey, this is more than one single beach. Instead, it's a vast inlet boasting great walks, famous pubs like the Ship Inn and, on the east side the long expanse of LLanddona beach. Hundreds of years ago, this was inhabited by fierce, mystical outlaws known as the Witches of Llanddonna and the tales of their sorcery still live on. At low tide, the sands of Red Wharf Bay extend for 10 square miles.
19. Rhos-on-Sea
The beachfront at Rhos-on-Sea is one of the most elegant parts of the North Wales coast. It has a slightly Mediterranean feel to it – when the sun is shining at least. The long beach below West Promenade, which leads eastwards to Colwyn Bay, has also had something of a facelift: about one million tonnes of new sand been laid down over the past few years - part of an elaborate plan to stop coastal erosion and create a lasting playground for locals and tourists alike to enjoy.
20. Talacre Beach
This was the final stop on my walking trip around the coast of Wales – a wide strip of beach backed by beautifully unkempt sand dunes that are home to little terns, skylarks and meadow pipits. Talacre has a moody, powerful presence. It feels isolated, sitting on the very edge of the Dee estuary and looking north across sea to the Wirral peninsula in England. It's a perfect spot to lose yourself in nature and reflect on the power of the sea to shape our lives.
Matthew Yeomans writes for The Guardian, New York Times and National Geographic about the environment, travel, sustainability and business, and also regularly about his home country, Wales. His current book, Seascape, is published by Calon Books and is available from all good bookshops, including this one. Check out our guide for the best places to stay in Wales – and sign up to Cool Places for the chance to win a free copy of Matthew's book!
