We have spent a lot of time in the beautiful country of Wales and especially on the Llyn Peninsula, Snowdonia and Anglesey exploring and visiting many beaches over the years. We have put together our North Wales beaches top 6 collection to aid you in finding a great beach; if you are visiting or looking for something new in the area.
Note from the author: This article has been written by me from my travel experience. I may recommend & provide links to products & services that I have used & may make commission from such links. This commission helps cover the costs of running this website & will be at no extra cost to you. Anything that I recommend is from my personal experience & belief that it is worth using. Happy reading!
North Wales Beaches
1. Treath Porthdinllaen / Morfa Nefyn
Location – Morfa Nefyn, Llyn Peninsula —-> Map
Dog friendly beach – Yes (dogs not allowed to the right of Morfa Nefyn Beach in the summer months, however the left hand side of the beach is where you’ll want to be)
Home to The Ty Coch, once voted the 3rd best beach bar in the world, which is situated about a 2 km walk from the National Trust’s beach car park in Morfa Nefyn; there’s good reason that this bar made the list. A short walk down to the shoreline on the road or down the steps leads to an easy and flat walk all the way to the pub. Open for business year-round (fewer opening hours during the winter months) the Ty Coch provides a welcome stop for a hot drink, alcoholic beverage or a bite to eat. During the summer months events and bands are a regular occurrence on the calendar. This with a warm summers evening is one of the reasons why this had to make it into our North Wales beaches list. Checkout their website for updates and opening times.
Continuing on from the beach walk is a path that follows the headland round towards Lifeboat Bay (home of theRNLI Porthdinllaen Lifeboat ) and out to the end of the Peninsula. If you’re looking for seals this is the place. The walk can also be done as a loop from the peninsula returning through the Nefyn Golf Club track from the Ty Coch or Lifeboat Bay to the car park in Morfa Nefyn.
Other parking spots include the Cliffs Inn (another perfect place to park and have a drink / bite to eat then go for a walk). There is also a few parking spaces at the top of Lon Bridin (the main road down to the beach) which are free of charge and also up at the golf club during summer months for a small fee in their over flow car park.
Motorhomecamper friendly – Not massive amount of room in the parking places mentioned but ideal parking spots would be either National trust car park or up at the Golf Club overflow.
2. Porth Neigwl (Hells Mouth)
Located – Llanengan, Pwllheli, Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd —-> Map
Dog friendly beach – Yes
Second on our North Wales beaches list appropriately named Hells Mouth due to the nature of the oceanfront on a windy or stormy day. Bearing the brunt of the swell from Bardsey Island and the Irish sea there is usually an interesting barrage of things that end up on the beach there (especially after or on a stormy day) as the tide is so strong.
Also a hot spot with surfers this beach most definitely will test your surfing ability. Take precautions if you choose to surf here, check the weather and surf reports for the day (we use Surf-Forecast which has never let us down). We have seen both pro and beginner surfers here so don’t be afraid if you are going in. Surf lessons and boards can be rented from the many surf shops in Abersoch such as West Coast Surf or Off Axis .
A short 4km drive from the town center of Abersoch with a small free car park that leads straight down to the beach. Porth Neigwl boasts an awesome wide open place for a great walk and little extra element than your normal North Wales beach walk.
Motorhomecamper friendly – Yes, a small car park but room for motorhome campers if not too busy.
3. Traeth Harlech
Location – Harlech —-> Map
Dog friendly beach – Yes (although restrictions apply to parts of the beach)
The sweeping pristine shoreline of Harlech on the edge of the Morfa Harlech National Nature Reserve and Harlech town offers panoramic views out to the Llyn Peninsula on a clear day. Accompanied by huge sand dunes this place during the summer is a great place for a stroll at sunset. As if all of that isn’t enough, there’s also the magnificent Harlech Castle looming in the background making for even more dramatic view.
Parking is only a couple of hundred meters from the beach with a huge car park (paid) with toilets. Other points of interest in the area include the Castle which is a great place to visit, as well as Portmeirion being only a 10 minute drive away. This definitely rates high on our North Wales beaches list!
Motorhome / camper friendly – Ample room in the beach car park, there is a height barrier but has never been locked when we have visited.
4. Traeth Coch (Red Wharf Bay)
Location – Anglesey —-> Map
Dog friendly beach – Yes (where they can literally run for miles)
The huge beach of Treath Coch or Red Wharf Bay in Anglesey is a great sight to behold especially when the tide is low. This beach will make you feel miles from anywhere when the tide is fully out. With such a huge area covered by its sand the beach has many small parking spots dotted alongside the back of the beach roads.
As well as connecting onto the gorgeous Benllech Sands to the west, this bay offers the chance to roam all day along the beaches and into the Pentraeth Forest, where forest loop walks can be taken. Or if it is just beach you are after, there are many cafes and pubs set back in the area of the Bay. The The Ship Inn and The Boathouse are great places to eat and drink located toward the west of the beach right on the front, both with parking.
Red Wharf Bay is also the spiritual home of the Land Rover. As in 1947 mechanical engineer Maurice Wilks made the first ever drawing of a Land Rover on the sand there to his brother. This dream of an all terrain vehicle ended up being the legendary Land Rover Defender.
More can bee seen here on Land Rovers YouTube Channel
Motorhome / camper friendly – Few parking spots toward the very east of the beach with great views and also space in Benllech village centre if not too busy.
5. Traeth Llanbedrog
Location – Llanbedrog, Gwynedd (beach car park just off the A499 between Pwllheli & Abersoch) —-> Map
Dog friendly beach – Yes
On the edge of Llanbedrog village tucked away from the main road this beautiful beach has open views across to Harlech and down the coastline towards Pwllheli. The National Trust car park (paid) located about 50m from the beach is an easy walk down the road or short steps to the beach entrance. Entering onto the sand Llanbedrog Headland towers over the right hand side of the beach keeping it on some days completely sheltered from southerly winds.
During the summer months a multitude of multi-coloured beach huts line the sands of Lllanbedrog giving an amazing backdrop to this already stunning beach.
A cafe and beach bar named Aqua also sits upon the main entrance to the beach serving coffee, food and beverages. Opening times are usually 11am – 10.30pm everyday from March till October. Although its worth checking their website for updates. This is a great place to sit and take in the views either before of after your walk.
Motorhome / camper friendly – Plenty of space in the car park during the low season months but maybe un-advisable during a busy weekend in the summer.
6. Porth Oer (Whistling Sands)
Location – Rhydlios, Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd —> Map
Dog friendly beach – Seasonal restrictions with dogs from 1st April – 30th September.
Named after the unique nature of the sands there which literally whistle under your feet. This unique geological phenomenon is only found in a few deserts and places around the world. Also known as singing sand, more of the science behind special place can be found on this Wiki page.
With small caves located toward the end of the beach and a few connecting walk loops that can be done including the coastline and beach back to the car park. This gorgeous place is great for a short beach walk or a longer, more energetic loop walk including the headland surrounding Porth Oer.
A National Trust Car park (paid) is located along with toilets a couple of hundred meters up from the beach with an incline leading to and from the car park. There are also a few lucky spaces along the main beach road which if not too busy can be parked at for free. A small cafe / shop sited on the edge of the sand and foreshore delivers a lovely place to sit and enjoy the view of this unique beach.
Motorhome / camper friendly – Yes, room in car park for campers / motorhomes and plenty of space during the winter but could be tricky on busy summer weekends.
North Wales Beaches Bonus
Pictured in the header and one we just had to mention is the small cove of Porth Y Cychod which is located just near the village of Tudweiliog and is a unique adventure. With a few parking spaces nearby the abandoned fishing cove is a great place to checkout.
To Wrap It Up
For all of these North Wales beaches and walks we use the MAPS.ME app which is an offline location and route planner (working, once you have downloaded the map for the area). The app has all trails and points of interest located and is really useful for planing a hike or walk around an area, it also includes incline info.
All parking spots mentioned are the easiest places to park to access the beaches. There are other places to park nearby or in the towns if you don’t mind walking a little more.
Connecting all of these North Wales beaches is the Wales coastal path which runs 870 miles all the way around the Welsh coastline from the north to south or vice versa. This path can be picked up and experienced for as long or as little as you like. So if you are looking to take in one of these awe-inspiring beaches be sure in the knowledge that the Wales coastal path will be close-by if you want to adventure further. Taking in beaches, woodlands, hills, cliffs and estuary’s, the choice for exploration is yours.
We hope you have enjoyed our North Wales Beaches – The Top 6! Please let us know if you have any questions.
You can also checkout the rest of our Wales adventures here.
Happy Adventuring!
Adam & Kelly x
about the wilder route...
In 2017 Kelly & Adam Peck embarked on a journey that would change their lives forever...
Equipped with a couple of second-hand bikes, they took a one-way flight to Havana, Cuba &, after a cycling escapade that took them over four hundred kilometres - through remote villages & untouched landscapes, the roots of The Wilder Route were firmly planted.
From there the adventure was destined to continue... this intrepid couple spent the next 10 months soaking up the vibrance of Mexico, hiking up volcanoes in Guatemala, taking in the wild scenery of Canada & experiencing the beauty & diversity of Colombia, before eventually returning to the UK.
With the feeling of exploration in their souls, Kelly & Adam knew that they wanted to build a life that brought them closer to nature, a life that made adventure part of their every day. Selling most of their belongings & packing the rest of what they owned into their tiny home on wheels, van life became the next step of their journey.
Since moving into their motorhome in 2018 (a Bessacar E560 named Barnaby) they have experienced many more magical moments, built their online business on the road & have even planned a wedding & said "I do" along the way.
Featured in publications such as Wanderlust Magazine & Housesitting Magazine & speaking at events such as Destinations Shows, Borderless Live & The Caravan & Motorhome Show about living a location-independent lifestyle - they are passionate about helping & inspiring others to explore, to connect with nature &, to live alternatively.
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