Beaches &amp; swimming in Wales Wales

Three-mile sweep of sand backed by Rhossili Down at the western tip of the Gower.

Swansea

Iconic

Three Cliffs Bay

Sandy bay framed by three limestone peaks, a salt marsh and a winding stream on south Gower.

Swansea

Iconic

Barafundle Bay

Curved beach of golden sand backed by dunes, reached by a cliff walk from Stackpole Quay.

Pembrokeshire

Barry Island (Whitmore Bay)

Broad sandy bay backed by a promenade and pleasure park, the classic Valleys seaside resort.

Vale of Glamorgan

Harlech Beach

A wide dune-backed sand beach below Harlech Castle, part of the Morfa Harlech nature reserve.

Gwynedd

Lido Ponty

Lido

The National Lido of Wales, a 1927 pool in Pontypridd's war memorial park, derelict for years and reopened in 2015.

Rhondda Cynon Taf

Oxwich Bay

Wide dune-backed beach and national nature reserve on the south Gower coast.

Swansea

Whistling Sands

A National Trust cove near Aberdaron whose dry sand squeaks underfoot when walked on.

Gwynedd

Aberffraw Bay

Wide dune-backed sandy bay (Traeth Mawr) reached by a walk along the River Ffraw, a good surf spot in the right conditions.

Anglesey

Amroth Beach

Wide sand-and-shingle beach at the eastern end of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, with a fossil forest at low tide.

Pembrokeshire

Barmouth Beach

A two-mile Blue Flag sand beach at the mouth of the Mawddach Estuary.

Gwynedd

Broad Haven

Family beach and village on St Brides Bay, the main resort on the north-west coast.

Pembrokeshire

Castle Beach

Cove beach between Castle Hill and the East Cliff at Tenby, voted the UK's best beach in 2019.

Pembrokeshire

Dunraven Bay

Sandy bay backed by dramatic layered cliffs at Southerndown, good for rock pools and fossils.

Vale of Glamorgan

Langland Bay

Crescent bay lined with beach huts just west of Mumbles, popular with surfers.

Swansea

Llantwit Major Beach

Rocky Heritage Coast beach at Col-huw reached by a valley walk from the town.

Vale of Glamorgan

Lligwy Beach

Sheltered east-coast sandy beach (Traeth Lligwy) near Moelfre with a beach cafe, popular for swimming and watersports.

Anglesey

Marloes Sands

Mile-long beach backed by folded cliffs on the Marloes peninsula, with dramatic rock formations.

Pembrokeshire

Newborough Beach

Long golden beach (Traeth Llanddwyn) backed by Newborough Forest and one of Britain's largest dune systems, with views to Snowdonia.

Anglesey

Pendine Sands

Seven-mile sweep of firm sand on Carmarthen Bay, famous for early land-speed record attempts.

Carmarthenshire

Tenby North Beach

Sandy beach below the town promenade, dotted with rock pools and the landmark Goscar Rock.

Pembrokeshire

Ynyslas Dunes

Wide sandy beach and dune system at the mouth of the Dyfi estuary, part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve.

Ceredigion

Aberavon Beach

Long sandy Blue Flag beach on Swansea Bay at Port Talbot.

Neath Port Talbot

Aberdaron Beach

A sheltered sandy bay at the fishing village of Aberdaron at the tip of the Llŷn.

Gwynedd

Abersoch Main Beach

A sheltered sandy beach lined with beach huts, centre of Abersoch's sailing and watersports scene.

Gwynedd

Benllech Beach

Wide east-coast Blue Flag sandy beach with sheltered waters and summer lifeguards.

Anglesey

Black Rock Sands

A broad sand beach near Porthmadog that cars are allowed to drive onto, backed by dunes.

Gwynedd

Blue Pool Bay

Remote north-Gower cove named for a deep circular rock pool in the shore platform.

Swansea

Borthwen Beach, Rhoscolyn

Sheltered sandy beach at Rhoscolyn on Holy Island, the start point for the headland and sea-arch walk.

Anglesey

Bracelet Bay

Rocky cove beneath Mumbles Head, looking out to the lighthouse islands.

Swansea

Brandy Cove

Small sandy cove east of Caswell, once used by smugglers on the south Gower coast.

Swansea

Broad Haven South

Wide sandy beach backed by dunes and the Bosherston lily ponds, near Stackpole.

Pembrokeshire

Broughton Bay

Dune-backed beach at the north-west corner of the Gower, near Whiteford Point.

Swansea

Caswell Bay

Popular family beach near Mumbles, the first bay west of the Bishopston valley.

Swansea

Cefn Sidan

Eight-mile dune-backed beach at Pembrey, the longest in Wales, with views to the Gower.

Carmarthenshire

Ceibwr Bay

Narrow stony inlet near Moylgrove where grey seals haul out close to the shore.

Pembrokeshire

Cemaes Bay

Sheltered harbour beach in the northernmost village in Wales, with rock pools at low tide.

Anglesey

Church Doors Cove

Small cove near Skrinkle Haven framed by an arched, door-shaped opening in the cliffs.

Pembrokeshire

Cilborth Beach

Award-winning sandy cove reached along the shore or coast path from Llangrannog.

Ceredigion

Clarach Bay Beach

Sheltered pebble-and-sand holiday beach in a small valley between Aberystwyth and Borth.

Ceredigion

Criccieth Beach

Twin sand-and-shingle beaches either side of the castle headland at Criccieth.

Gwynedd

Cwm-yr-Eglwys

Sheltered cove on the Dinas peninsula beside a ruined seaside church.

Pembrokeshire

Cwmtydu

Secluded shingle-and-sand cove with a smuggling history, on the coast path south of New Quay.

Ceredigion

Dinas Dinlle

A long pebble-and-sand beach south of Caernarfon below an Iron Age hillfort on an eroding headland.

Gwynedd

Ferryside Beach

Foreshore beach on the Tywi estuary facing Llansteffan castle, good for cockling and views.

Carmarthenshire

Freshwater East

Dune-backed sandy bay on the south Pembrokeshire coast, quieter than its western namesake.

Pembrokeshire

Freshwater West

Vast Atlantic surf beach with big skies and dunes, a location for film-makers and surfers.

Pembrokeshire

Limeslade Bay

Small rocky cove at the eastern end of the Gower coast near Mumbles Head.

Swansea

More to explore among the 90 beaches and swimming spots below.

More beaches and swimming spots to explore42

Beaches & swimming in North Wales 16

Llanbedrog Beach

A sheltered mile of sand backed by colourful beach huts below the Mynydd Tir-y-Cwmwd headland.

Gwynedd

Llandudno North Shore

Llandudno's crescent main beach of sand and shingle beneath the Great Orme, with the pier and promenade.

Conwy

Llandudno West Shore

The quieter sandy beach on the Conwy Bay side of Llandudno, with views to Anglesey and Eryri.

Conwy

Porth Ceiriad

A remote sandy bay backed by crumbling cliffs south of Abersoch, reached by a field path.

Gwynedd

Porth Dafarch

Small sandy cove on Holy Island between Holyhead and Trearddur Bay, on the coastal path.

Anglesey

Porth Wen

Remote north-coast cove reached only on foot, beneath the ruins of the Victorian Porth Wen brickworks.

Anglesey

Porth Ysgo

A secluded cliff-backed cove near Rhiw on the south Llŷn, reached by a steep path past a waterfall.

Gwynedd

Porthdinllaen Beach

A sheltered sandy bay by an old fishing hamlet on a National Trust headland, home to the Tŷ Coch Inn.

Gwynedd

Red Wharf Bay

Vast sweep of tidal sand and mudflat (Traeth Coch) rich in birdlife, ringed by waterside inns.

Anglesey

Rhosneigr Beach

West-coast sandy beach at Rhosneigr, one of the UK's leading spots for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Anglesey

Shell Island

A tidal peninsula near Llanbedr with sweeping sands known for the variety of shells washed up.

Gwynedd

Talacre Beach

Broad sandy beach backed by the Gronant and Talacre dunes at the mouth of the Dee, an SSSI known for natterjack toads.

Flintshire

Traeth Bychan

Small sheltered sandy beach near Benllech with a slipway used by dinghy sailors and divers.

Anglesey

Traeth Penllech

A mile of pale remote sand on the north-west Llŷn coast near Llangwnnadl.

Gwynedd

Trearddur Bay

Sheltered award-winning sandy beach on Holy Island popular for family swimming and watersports.

Anglesey

Church Bay

Sandy cove (Porth Swtan) on the rugged north-west coast, quieter than the island's larger resorts.

Anglesey

Beaches & swimming in South East Wales 3

Ogmore Beach

Wide sandy beach at the mouth of the River Ogmore, with dunes and castle ruins nearby.

Vale of Glamorgan

Rest Bay

Wide surf beach at Porthcawl backed by a rocky foreshore and coast path.

Bridgend

Cwm Nash

Secluded pebble-and-sand cove reached down a wooded valley below Monknash.

Vale of Glamorgan

Beaches & swimming in South West Wales 21

Llansteffan Beach

Sandy estuary beach below Llansteffan's ruined clifftop castle on the Tywi.

Carmarthenshire

Manorbier Beach

Sandy surfing bay ringed by dunes and cliffs below Manorbier Castle.

Pembrokeshire

Mewslade Bay

Wild cove of sand at low tide reached through a limestone valley on south-west Gower.

Swansea

Monkstone Beach

Secluded sandy beach between Saundersfoot and Tenby, reached only on foot.

Pembrokeshire

Musselwick Sands

Quiet tide-dependent beach on St Brides Bay near Marloes, reached by a cliff path.

Pembrokeshire

Newgale Sands

Two-mile pebble-backed sweep of sand on St Brides Bay, popular with surfers.

Pembrokeshire

Newport Sands

Broad sandy beach at the mouth of the Nevern estuary below the Preseli Hills.

Pembrokeshire

Poppit Sands

Dune-backed beach at the mouth of the Teifi near St Dogmaels, the northern end of the coast path.

Pembrokeshire

Port Eynon Bay

Sheltered sandy bay on south Gower shared by the villages of Port Eynon and Horton.

Swansea

Pwlldu Bay

Shingle-and-sand cove at the mouth of the Bishopston valley, reached only on foot.

Swansea

Saundersfoot Beach

Sheltered sandy beach beside the harbour at Saundersfoot, a former coal-export village.

Pembrokeshire

Skrinkle Haven

Secluded twin cove reached by steep steps near Manorbier, alongside Church Doors Cove.

Pembrokeshire

Tenby South Beach

Tenby's largest beach, a broad stretch of golden sand with views to Caldey Island.

Pembrokeshire

Tor Bay

Secluded sandy beach between Great Tor and Oxwich Point, reached on foot across the dunes.

Swansea

West Angle Bay

Sandy beach with rock pools at the mouth of Milford Haven, looking out to Thorn Island.

Pembrokeshire

Whiteford Sands

Two-mile dune-backed beach and nature reserve on the north-west Gower coast.

Swansea

Whitesands Bay

Long surf beach below Carn Llidi near St Davids, with views to Ramsey Island.

Pembrokeshire

Fall Bay

Rocky beach near Worm's Head, exposed at low tide beneath the south-west Gower cliffs.

Swansea

Nolton Haven

Small sheltered cove on St Brides Bay, once used to ship local coal.

Pembrokeshire

Porthclais Harbour

Sheltered rocky inlet and old lime-kiln harbour near St Davids, where St David was said to be baptised.

Pembrokeshire

Wiseman's Bridge

Small beach linked to Saundersfoot by wooded former tramway tunnels, once a D-Day rehearsal site.

Pembrokeshire

Beaches & swimming elsewhere in Wales 2

Tresaith Beach

Beach near Aberporth

Sheltered sandy bay north of Aberporth with rock pools and a waterfall that spills onto the sand.