The 15 Best Beaches in South West Wales in 2024 + Map!

A complete guide to visiting 15 of South West Wales’ Best Beaches, from Pembrokeshire to Ceredigion.

(Updated 2024)

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Wales has some of the best beaches in the world, and that’s not just our opinion. With countless award-winning bays and beaches, who needs the Bahamas when you have Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion?! Here are a few of our favourites.

Time needed: 7-14 days.

When to go: April-June or September-October for (hopefully) pleasant weather and to avoid the crowds.

Weather: Anything from blazing sunshine to torrential rain.

Language: Welsh and English.

Currency: British Pound.

The best beaches in South West Wales

1) Barafundle Bay

Barafundle Bay is the most popular beach in Pembrokeshire and had been voted the best beach in Britain. This small bay is backed by sand dunes, surrounded by pine trees and flanked by two limestone headlands. The award-winning beach is a wide expanse of golden sand and often compared to the Caribbean. It is owned by the Stackpole Estate and managed by the National Trust, so you could combine your trip with a visit to the Stackpole National Nature Reserve. Parking can be found at Stackpole Quay car park and the bay is accessed by a short walk through fields and down stone steps.

2) Whitesands Bay

This blue flag beach overlooks the craggy hill of Carn Llidi and curves north towards the remote rocky headland of St Davids Head. Hailed as one of the best surfing beaches in the country, these pristine white sands attract adrenaline junkies and families alike.

For a quieter beach follow the coast path north for ten minutes and you’ll reach Porthmelgan, a lovely cove-beach with lots of sand at low tide, a couple of caves and a waterfall.

3) Pwllgwaelod Beach

Pwllgwaelod is a small cove of dark sand and shingle with low rocks on both sides and numerous rock pools. The beach looks out across the bay to Fishguard and you can walk across the Dinas Head, the headland, to Cwm yr Eglwys, a pretty little hamlet with a full time population of around 10 people and a ruined church. The path is paved, so accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs. Look out for the wetlands, which contain flowers like irises, on righthand side of the walk. Make sure to check out the tide times to ensure there’s plenty of beach and that you don’t get cut off by the incoming tide.

4) Abermawr

This secluded pebble beach lies just off the car park and reveals a long expanse of sand at low tide. Buried tree stumps can also be found here – the remains of a forest drowned by a sudden flood as an ice sheet melted 8000 years ago and preserved by salt. Next door you’ll find Blue Lagoon, a flooded slate quarry known for bright blue-green water. You can check out the weather and tide on Preseli Venture’s live camera feed.

5) Tenby

This one’s kind of cheating because Tenby actually has 4 beaches! At either end of town you’ll find the North and South Beaches, while the small Harbour beach is revealed at low tide and the award-winning Castle Beach. As the name suggests, Castle Beach sits under the ruins of Tenby Castle and looks out towards St Catherine’s Island, which is only accessible at low tide.

6) Mwnt

Mwnt is a beautiful hidden cove, located on the site of an ancient parish and featuring an award winning beach and little shop. You can visit Eglwys y Grog (Holy Cross Church), a Grade I listed building which (probably) dates back to the the 13th century. The Wales Coastal Path passes through here and there are a number of walks in the area too. Our favourite is the climb to the top of Foel y Mwnt (the steep hill), which offers stunning views out over Cardigan Bay. This is also a great vantage point for spotting dolphins, which can be seen coming into the bay on a morning and evening.

7) Penbryn Beach

This mile-long expanse of golden sand is perfect for relaxing during the day and star gazing at night. There’s a resident pod of dolphins which can be seen passing from the beach and at dusk you may see seals or barn owls.

8) Skrinkle Haven Beach

Skrinkle Haven Beach sits between Old Castle Head and Lydstep Point and is a small bay, encircled by high cliffs. When the tide is low you will find a wide expanse of soft golden sand, which is accessed by a set of steep steps.

9) Church Door Cove

Around the headland lies Church Door Cove, a small bay with a high arched cave that has been carved out of the cliff face by the sea.

10) Broadhaven & Little Haven

Broadhaven is actually made up of 2 beaches – North and South.

At low tide a large expanse of golden sand is revealed and links together Broad Haven with the neighbouring Little Haven and another bay, The Settlands, which you can walk around to. Church Rock protrudes from the sea in the centre of Broadhaven South.

Little Haven is popular with boaters as it has a slipway, and it also has a number of rockpools – perfect for families. There’s an accessible path leading up to a viewpoint, aptly named The Point.

Book a Classic Tour of Pembrokeshire’s Best Attractions, including Broadhaven Beach!

11) Poppit Sands Beach

Poppit Sands is a long, sandy beach backed by dunes and at the mouth of the Teifi Estuary. Only 2 miles from Cardigan, Poppit Sands is the start (or end) of the Wales Coastal Path. Keep an eye on the tides here as it comes in quickly.

12) Freshwater West

Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire is not only a lovely beach, but also the filming location of a few scenes in Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2. Shell Cottage, Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour’s quirky beachside home, was built here for filming in 2010, although it was taken down shortly after. This is also the place where Dobby’s death scene was filmed and many people still travel to visit Dobby’s Grave. The site, tucked away in the sand dunes, is now covered with muraled pebbles to commemorate his death.

13) Ceibwr Bay

This small inlet is surrounded by tall cliffs and contains a pebbly entrance to the sandy beach and a small stream. In Autumn, seals can be spotted coming in to have their pups and porpoises can be spotted all year round. One mile to the south is The Witches Cauldron, an impressive sea cave which can be accessed by sea kayak.

14) Marloes Sands

Set on a peninsula on the south-west tip of Wales, Marloes Sands is very dramatic location and has featured in films, including the 2011 Snow White and The Huntsman. At low tide part of a ship wreck is exposed, as well as rocks which form rock pools.

15) Newport Beach

This broad, long beach lies at the mouth of the River Nevern, between Cardigan and Fishguard and is very popular with all kinds of watersports enthusiasts. You can explore the caves at the end of the beach, multiple rockpools, or simply admire the little harbour filled with fishing boats. Look out for Bee Orchids in the dunes, a really rare flower. Walkers can enjoy a walk inland up the estuary or the woods walk with carved sculptures.