Beaches

Beaches in Mid Wales

The Cardigan Bay coastline runs from Cardigan in the south to Barmouth in the north, and it holds some of the quietest beaches in Wales. These are not resort beaches. Most have no ice cream van, no arcade, and no crowds, even in the middle of August.

Penbryn is a National Trust beach reached by a short walk through a wooded valley. The sand is golden, the water is clean and on a weekday you might share it with half a dozen people. Nearby, Llangrannog has a small beach right by the village, good for swimming and backed by cliffs that you can walk along.

Borth stretches for three miles of sand and shingle north of Aberystwyth. At low tide, the remains of a prehistoric submerged forest appear, tree stumps from an ancient landscape. Ynyslas sand dunes at the north end are a nature reserve, good for birdwatching and wide-open space.

Further north, Barmouth has a long sandy beach with Cadair Idris rising behind the town. The Mawddach estuary trail starts here and runs inland through some of the finest scenery in Wales.

For families, Aberaeron has a small sheltered harbour beach, and New Quay has Dolau beach and Traeth Gwyn where bottlenose dolphins are regularly spotted from the shore.

Dog friendly beaches are scattered along the coast, with many allowing dogs year round on quieter stretches.