Poppit Sands

Poppit Sands is a very wide sandy beach at the estuary of the River Teifi near Cardigan in Wales. It is close to St Dogmaels and the northern end of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path starts there. The area is a gathering spot for surfers and boogie-boarders.

Mwnt

Mwnt is a National Trust beach. There is a large pay and display car park above the beach and a shop and toilets partway down the path leading to the beach. It gets its name from the prominent steep conical hill, a landmark from much of Cardigan Bay, that rises above the beach. The little white church here is among the most visited in West Wales.

Aberporth

In the 16th century, Aberporth with its two fine sandy beaches, was a subsidiary landing point for the port of Cardigan. Boats, nets and salt for preserving were brought in from Ireland.
 

Tresaith

Legend relates that a certain king of Ireland had seven troublesome daughters. Failing to exercise control over the princesses he finally lost his patience and told his servants to put his daughters on an open boat and cast them adrift. The Irish Sea currents took the craft towards the coast of Ceredigion where it beached. The seven princesses landed safely, fell in love with the sons of seven local Welsh families, married and settled down. This is why the settlement is called Tresaith (Welsh 'the Town of Seven').

Penbryn

Penbryn Beach, between Llangrannog and Tresaith is owned by the National Trust and was used for location filming for the James Bond film Die Another Day.

Llangrannog

Llangrannog lies in the narrow valley of the little River Hawen, which falls as a waterfall near the middle of the village. The earliest parts of the village (the "church village") lie above the waterfall and are hidden by a twist of the valley so that they cannot be seen from the sea. This protected them from the attention of sea marauders, the Vikings and the Irish. After the mid-eighteenth century the sea became safer and a "beach village" and small seaport developed.

Dolau Beach, New Quay

Just to the south of the pier, Dolau beach lies below the main car park. and close to the southern terraces of Rock Street, Marine Terrace and Lewis Terrace. Close to the top of the path leading to the beach are New Quay's two fish and chip shops, the Mariner and the Captains Rendezvous. Fish and chips on Dolau beach is a local favourite.

New Quay Harbour Beach

Lying between the two piers at New Quay, the Harbour beach is the area's most popular beach in the summer as it within close walking distance of the centre of New Quay where there are many self catering cottages and Guest Houses. Click on the links at the top of this page for a comprehensive selection of accommodation in New Quay and the local area.

Traethgwyn, New Quay

Traethgwyn extends from Llanina Point to the New Quay lifeboat station and is a wide sandy beach at low tide. Access is from New Quay by walking along the beach from the lifeboat station, from the footpath at Llanina, or from the caravan park.

Cei Bach

Cei Bach (Little Bay) is just to the north of Traethgwyn at New Quay and separated by that beach by the rocky promontory of Llanina point. In the last century, there was a church on the point that was washed away by the sea. Cei Bach was important for ship building in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and there were several lime kilns above the beach.
 

Llanrhystud

Llanrhystud is a small seaside village on the A487 , nine miles south of Aberystwyth. It is named after the early Christian Welsh saint Rhystud. There is a narrow road opposite the filling station that leads through farmland to the car park above the beach. The beach is a narrow shingle bank at high tide, but becomes wide and sandy at low tide. To the south of the beach are several lime kilns - some of the best examples in the county.
 

Aberystwyth

The beach stretches from Constitution Hill, at the north end of the Promenade, to the mouth of the harbour at the south, taking in two separate beaches divided by the castle.

Aberystwyth Pier is one of the best places in Britain to watch the murmuration of the Starlings as they come in to roost in the winter. They are in their greatest numbers in February.