Cardigan Bay beaches are among the best beaches in Wales, and they are a wonderfully varied bunch.
They are spread over more than 200 miles of Welsh coast, encompassing everything from deserted wide beaches for romantics to traditional British funfair and fish’n’chips charm, with a World Heritage Castle and an occasionally visible petrified forest.
I’ve been visiting the beaches of Cardigan Bay for over 40 years, returning a great many times and exploring all parts of the coast at length.
My guide to the best beaches of Cardigan Bay begins with my top ten picks, followed by the best of the rest from each area.
These are the top ten beaches in Cardigan Bay.
1. Mwnt Beach
Mwnt beach – Traeth y Mwnt – is a wonderful sandy cove with cliffs on three sides, and my pick of the best Cardigan beaches.
It’s a 4-mile drive from Cardigan (Aberteifi) town through exceedingly narrow lanes hemmed in by hedgerows, but the effort is absolutely worth it.
Mwnt is one of the most picturesque Welsh beaches, with a hill (after which it’s named) and a beautiful whitewashed church with a simple bellcote close to the clifftop. The view to Cardigan Island (Ynys Aberteifi) is rather special too.
It’s usually busy during the summer months, but much quieter over the winter.
How to get there: here are two direct buses (the 552 service) a day from Cardigan, and it can also be reached from Aberporth and New Quay.
2. Llangrannog Beach and Cilborth Beach
The coastline around the village of Llangrannog is among the most scenic on the Ceredigion coast, and the starting point for some of the most enjoyable Cardigan Bay walks.
Its two sandy beaches are separated by a cliff at high tide, but you can walk between the two when the tide is out. Both beaches are great for kids with rock pools to explore and Carreg y Bica rock a distinctive landmark.
There are also two pubs close to Llangrannog beach and a couple of great cafes serving fish and chips. If you’re feeling active, the steep mile-long walk up the coast to Ynys Lochtyn is outstanding, especially with the summer flowers in bloom. It’s one of the most spectacular stretches along the Ceredigion coastal path, worth driving all the way to Mid Wales to experience.
3. New Quay Harbour Beach
A day out in New Quay Wales – Cei Newydd – is one of the best things to do in Cardigan Bay. It’s a little reminiscent of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, with rows of pastel-painted houses huddled around the lovely harbour and beach below.
There are four beaches in New Quay, if you also count Llanina beach a couple of miles away across the bay, but the busy Harbour beach is the pick of them, and indeed one of the best on the whole Cardigan Bay coast.
See Also: Tenby Beaches – 4 Of The Most Beautiful Beaches In Wales
4. Aberystwyth North Beach
‘Aber’ is the cultural nexus of Mid Wales, a university town that has seduced a great many of its students into staying on permanently. It was a popular Victorian resort, and to see why, stand near the Pier and look up North Beach towards Constitution Hill.
Aber North Beach ( Traeth y Gogledd) is one of the most popular Cardigan Bay beaches, a steeply sloping shingle beach with wooden breakwaters, hugely popular with locals, students and visitors alike.
Head there on a sunny summer evening to get an idea why it’s such a special place.
See Also: 20 Wonderful Things To Do In Aberystwyth
5. Borth Beach and Ynyslas Beach
Borth Beach is a long, wide swathe of sand near the northern tip of Ceredigion, backed by the long single street that makes up much of the village.
The beach is brilliant, with great quality golden sand and superb views north towards the mountains of Snowdonia.
Close to the village, extreme low tides occasionally reveal a series of petrified tree stumps, the remnants of the lost lands of Cantre’r Gwaelod,
Borth village is not quite so endowed with mystical charm. Food options are especially limited, with nearly every meal there accompanied by chips (French fries) – ironic, given that Michelin-starred Ynyshir, one of the best restaurants in Wales, is only a few minutes’ drive away.
Ynyslas beach is the northern extension of Borth beach, a glorious isolated lost world of vast empty sands and dunes with great views across the estuary to Aberdovey.
6. Barmouth Beach
The seaside town of Barmouth is one of the best destinations for Cardigan Bay holidays. The magnificent Blue Flag main beach stretches from the sublime Mawddach estuary – one of the most beautiful rivers in Wales – to the seasonal funfair, amusement arcades and fish and chip shops.
It has masses of appeal right across the board, with plenty of cafes and restaurants and the Harbour also close by.
Barmouth is one of the few places in Mid Wales from which you can get around extensively by public transport, with the likes of Harlech, Portmeirion and even Criccieth within easy reach via the Cambrian Coast Line.
See Also: Things to do in Barmouth
7. Dyffryn Ardudwy Beaches
Dyffryn Ardudwy is a long, straggling one-street village in the shadow of the rugged Rhinog mountain range, half a mile inland from some of the most beautiful beaches in Wales.
The coast from Barmouth in the south to Shell Island in the north seems to be one long, continuous beach, but the sands are divided into different beaches by streams flowing into the sea.
Bennar and Llanenddwyn beaches are just to the west of Dyffryn Ardudwy village, and Morfa Dyffryn beach, a haven for naturists, is just to the north of these. The area is popular in summer, but even then the vast spaces along the beach make you feel you’re well off the beaten track.
Getting there: Bus or train to Dyffryn Ardudwy, then a 10-minute walk.
8. Harlech Beach
Harlech Beach is one of the best beaches in North Wales, a vast sweep of sand several miles long, curving northwards to the peaks of Snowdonia, including Yr Wyddfa, Mount Snowdon, itself.
There is good access to the middle of the beach, and via the viewpoint at the southern end, but few facilities. This beach is fine for families if you stop at the car park close to the village.
It’s also one for the wild romantics with a seemingly endless walk towards the dunes and emptiness of Morfa Harlech to the north.
And to top it all off, you can see the might of Harlech Castle, one of the four castles in North Wales to comprise the Castles in Gwynedd UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting there: Bus or train to Harlech, then a 1 km (0.6 mile) walk to the beach.
9. Criccieth Beaches
Criccieth (spelt Cricieth in Welsh) is one of the most beautiful towns in Wales, and much of this is down to its picturesque Castle, which stands on a headland between Criccieth East and Criccieth West beach.
Criccieth East beach is the better of the two, a sloping shingle beach revealing a wide strip of sand at low tide. The view of the Castle is wonderful, and there is also a great restaurant and ice cream shop just back from the beach.
See Also: 12 Best Things To Do In Criccieth
10. Llanbedrog Beach
This breathtaking Cardigan Bay beach is one of a small number to face south-east, and its sheltered position behind the mass of Mynydd Tir-y-Cwmwd nearly always ensures calm waters, making for one of the best beaches in Wales for families.
Llanbedrog beach is idyllic (except for the 5 GBP car park charge!). You follow a narrow road through woodland, along a stream, emerging onto this gorgeous beach, with a row of brightly-painted beach huts on one side and an old stone white house below the forest on the other.
The Aqua Bar & Grill has always served good food, and it’s just a few metres from the beach. A phenomenal beach, with a surprise walk up the cliff path for an exhilarating view as well.
11. Abersoch Beaches
The village of Abersoch has three of the best Llŷn Peninsula beaches – the two close to the village are very popular, especially in spring and summer, while Porth Ceiriad, a mile or so to the south, receives a fraction of the footfall the others get.
The main beach, Abersoch beach, is outstanding. The long strip of soft sand is lined with a higgledy-piggledy collection of painted wooden beach huts, and it affords dramatic views east to the mountains of Snowdonia.
It’s great for paddling for the kids, and is also one of the main Cardigan Bay watersports centres, with opportunities for everything from SUP to sailing.
Cardigan Bay Beaches – Ceredigion
1. Aberporth Beach
Aberporth is a lovely seaside village with a large, wide beach – the east side of it is called Aberporth Beach, and the west side Traeth y Dolwen.
It’s a very pretty location, with a stream full of boats on one side of the beach and a headland on the other. I’ve visited several times, and always been surprised it hasn’t become much more popular than it is.
It’s best in spring and summer when the beachside cafes are open. There are rockpools on either side to keep inquisitive kids occupied, and an easy mile-long walk along the Ceredigion Coast Path to Tresaith.
2. Tresaith Beach
Tresaith beach is one of the most picturesque Cardigan Bay beaches. It’s a small sandy cove with cliffs at either end, and, weather permitting, a waterfall flowing down the cliffs to the east of the beach. One of the best hidden gems of Wales.
3. Penbryn Beach
Traeth Penbryn is another beautiful Cardigan Bay beach, just a mile (1.6 km) along the Coast Path from Tresaith.
It’s an idyllic National Trust beach with a bit of everything – soft golden sand, cliffs, rockpools, a cave – and a great tearoom next to the car park up the hill called the Plwmp Tart.
Penbryn is renowned for its brief appearance in the James Bond movie Die Another Day, which starred Pierce Brosnan.
If you’re up for it, take the two-mile 3 km walk along the Coast Path to Llangrannog, pausing for a while at the gorgeous Traeth Bach, a tiny sandy beach only accessible via the Coast Path, halfway between the two.
4. Cwmtydu Beach
Cwmtydu is a tiny beach squeezed between two large headlands between Llangrannog and New Quay. It’s barely 100 metres from end to end but well worth the trek. The coastal walks in either direction from there are superb. It’s well worth making a day of it if you have the time.
Cwmtydu is also a prime location for spotting bottlenose dolphins in Cardigan Bay. The regular boat trips from New Quay head for this area, just a few miles from port.
5. New Quay – Dolau Beach, Traeth Gwyn and Cei Bach Beach
Dolau Beach is a wonderful small beach a few minutes’ walk from the main New Quay beach next to the Harbour.
Its soft sand is surrounded by rocks on either side, and like its neighbour it’s a picturesque spot with the terraces of houses on the hillside above. It is also considerably quieter than the Harbour beach.
Cei Bach beach is a long swathe of sand curving a couple of miles or more around the bay beneath Quay West, a large Cardigan Bay caravan park to the tiny church at Llanina. Again it’s considerably quieter than the Harbour beach.
If you’re walking the Coast Path, continue to Llanina Point, after which the views open up north towards Aberaeron and, eventually, Aberystwyth.
6. Llanrhystud Beach
As you head north up Cardigan Bay, Llanrhystud is the last beach before Aberystwyth, over ten miles (16 km) up the coast. It is a broad pebbly beach, with a section of sand revealed as the tide ebbs away. It’s a brief stop, worth the detour for the view of the wild cliffs that run north to Aberystwyth.
7. Aberystwyth South Beach
Aberystwyth South Beach is a fine-sloping pebble beach just to the south of Aberystwyth Castle and the War Memorial. It has a colourful backdrop, with a row of brightly painted houses.
It’s a fine spot with a view across the narrow Ystwyth estuary to Pen Dinas Hill and the quieter Tan y Bwlch or Penparcau beach.
8. Clarach Bay
Clarach Bay is a mile or two north of Aberystwyth, just the other side of Constitution Hill if you’re planning to take the Coast Path.
It’s a pleasant shingle beach with patches of sand at low tide, with a chip shop and several caravan parks close by. I wouldn’t go out of my way there, but the walk there and back from Aber is a fine way to spend the afternoon.
Cardigan Bay Beaches – Pembrokeshire
1. Pwllgwaelod Beach
Pwllgwaelod is a small beach between Fishguard and Newport (Pembrokeshire, as opposed to Newport, the third largest city in Wales 100 or so miles away). It’s on the west side of Dinas Head (sometimes called Dinas Island), dramatic headland separated from the ‘mainland’ by a marshy valley linking Pwllgwaelod and Cwm-yr-Eglwys.
Pwllgwaelod is much the larger of the two beaches, a wide expanse of sand at low tide. I strongly recommend the Dinas Head circuit, which climbs over 400 feet, taking in some astonishing cliff scenery and views of the Preseli Hills.
The Old Sailors is a pleasant restaurant close to the beach in what was a legendary pub, the Sailors Safety, which dated back to the late 16th century and was known for some very long after-hours lock-ins.
2. Cwm-yr-Eglwys Beach
Serene Cwm-yr-Eglwys (which means ‘the valley of the church’) is barely 1 km east of Pwllgwaelod but its sheltered location in the lee of Dinas Head gives it a very different feel.
The beach itself is small, lapped by calm turquoise waters and overlooked by the ruin of a medieval church which was destroyed by several storms throughout the 1850s. the walk up the east side of Dinas Head is wonderful, as are the views of the indented coastline towards Newport.
3. Newport Beach (Pembrokeshire)
Often referred to as Newport Pembs or by its Welsh name Trefdraeth to distinguish it from its namesake city near Cardiff, there are two beaches in Newport – the smaller Parrog and the expansive Newport North beach.
The latter is much the better of the two, a wide golden sandy beach across the Nanhyfer river from the town.
4. Ceibwr Bay
Ceibwr Bay is a small pebbly inlet on the remarkable northernmost stretch of the Pembrokeshire coast. It’s also the only point of access in the 12 miles between Newport (Pembs) and Poppit Sands.
The tiny beach isn’t much more than a rocky shoreline, but it’s worth the journey to this remote corner of Wales to see the amazing cliffs, their strata buckled and contorted by millions of years of pounding by the sea.
Top tip: The coastal walking in either direction is up there with the best in Wales.
5. Poppit Sands
Poppit Sands is the first or last beach in Pembrokeshire, depending on your direction of travel. It’s close to the pretty village of St Dogmaels, which sits across the river Teifi from Cardigan, and is the better of the two estuary beaches (the other is Gwbert beach, on the Cardigan side).
Poppit Sands is a great wide sandy beach with dunes which, at low tide, stretches most of the way across the Teifi estuary. It’s popular with kite surfers, and the only beach of its size on this stretch of coast.
Cardigan Bay Beaches – The Snowdonia Coast
1. Aberdovey Beach
Aberdovey beach is one of the most popular Cardigan Bay beaches, stretching around 4 miles (6 km) from the town car park, past the extensive dunes and links golf course, all the way to Tywyn.
The vast space around the corner of the estuary is ideal for watersports, with kitesurfing and windsurfing especially popular.
See Also: Things To Do In Aberdovey – One Of The Loveliest Seaside Towns In Wales
2. Tywyn Beach
Vast Tywyn beach – not to be confused with Towyn beach on the North Wales coast – stretches for miles either side of the village after which it’s named.
It’s one of the more intriguing Cardigan Bay beaches, and a long walk at low tide will take you along soft flat sand, dunes, pebbly sections, breakwaters and remains of ancient peat beds and petrified forest, albeit less extensive than those down the coast at Borth. Stick close to the village for your fish and chips on the beach.
Cardigan Bay Beaches – The Llŷn Peninsula
1. Black Rock Sands
Black Rock Sands is one of the most famous North Wales beaches. The beach itself is fantastic, two miles of glorious golden sand and awesome views across Tremadog Bay to the Rhinog and Moelwyn ranges.
Unusually for Cardigan Bay beaches, you can drive onto this beach and park – no 4WD required, a standard 2WD vehicle should easily manage the tightly packed sand.
Visitors often drive close to the shoreline. The cars parked on the beach means it fills up surprisingly quickly on busy summer days – it’s at its best when quieter.
The caves at the west end of the beach and the views from the headland to Criccieth Castle are spectacular.
2. Porth Neigwl
Porth Neigwl – also known as Hells Mouth – is one of the best surfing beaches in Cardigan Bay. It’s a 4-mile (6 km) sweep of sand, blasted by some of the fiercest waves in the Irish Sea. It’s located in a remote corner of the Llŷn Peninsula between Aberdaron and Abersoch.
3. Aberdaron Beach
Aberdaron is the Land’s End of North Wales, a tiny hilly, windswept village that, during the Middle Ages, was the departure point for pilgrims making the journey to the holiest of Welsh islands, Bardsey.
You can’t see Bardsey from the village. However, you are greeted by the sight of a superb sandy beach and clear waters with a view of two rocky islets in the bay.
The church overlooking the beach, St Hywyn’s, is very impressive, its considerable size explained by pilgrims’ donations down the centuries. Take a look inside before retiring to the Ty Newydd Hotel for a drink on the terrace.
See Also: Pilgrimages In Wales – 6 Spiritual Journeys Through Wales
Where Is Cardigan Bay?
Cardigan Bay – Bae Ceredigion in Welsh – is a vast bay on the west Wales coast, extending from Strumble Head in Pembrokeshire in the south to Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli) in the north-west.
Most people primarily tend to think of Cardigan Bay as the series of beautiful beaches in Ceredigion, between Cardigan and Ynyslas.
This includes the short section of coast between Aberporth and Ynys Lochtyn, just north of Llangrannog, which is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Wales and the UK.
It actually covers three Welsh counties – Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Gwynedd. The latter includes a section of the Snowdonia National Park coastline and the southern coast of the Llyn Peninsula.
The northeast corner of Cardigan Bay also goes by the name of Tremadog Bay (Bae Tremadog), named after the village near Porthmadog.
Cardigan Bay Beaches – Final Words
Some Cardigan Bay beaches are right up there with the best places to visit in Wales. There’s something for everyone – from families looking for traditional bucket and spade beaches to wild remote coves only accessible by coastal path.
If I had to narrow it down to a few personal favourites, I’d have to go with Llanbedrog, Harlech and Barmouth beaches. But I recommend everywhere I’ve mentioned in the article.
The beauty of Wales is that it’s fairly small, so you can also combine your beach holiday in Cardigan Bay with exploring elsewhere. If you’re staying in North Wales, a Snowdonia road trip is a great way to see more of the country.
If you’re basing yourself in Mid Wales, the wild uplands of the Cambrian Mountains beckon. And if you’re staying further south, I’d suggest adding a day or two of our Pembrokeshire road trip to your itinerary.
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.