BEACHES
Listed North to South
ABERMAWR & ABER BACH
Abermawr and Aberbach are two neighbouring remote beaches on Pembrokeshire's northwest coast that have many tales of smuggling associated with them. The nearest car parking is some 500 metres away at the end of a narrow dead-end lane, limited to 10 cars or so. The beaches are separated by a rocky headland, flanked by low cliffs and backed by a pebble bank, which the coastal path runs along. The bank has blocked off the valleys behind creating interesting areas of marshland. You can walk down to the beaches through the pretty nearby woodlands that we were told are full of bluebells and wild garlic in spring.
At Abermawr the low tide exposes golden sand and if low enough you can find the remnants of an ancient forest, preserved beneath the waves for over 6,000 years. It is popular with surfers when the swell is right and a perfect place to have quiet afternoon picnics or an evening BBQ.
Aberbach is a smaller beach made up of large and small rounded stones that we couldn’t help collect a few of. A local legend tells of a nearby farmer catching a mermaid at this spot, a tale easy to believe when you are there. A fresh water stream runs into the sea at one end, and via the coastal path to the north you can climb down a boulder gully to a tiny, secret low-tide cove called Porth Dwgan. Here the rocky coves and large caves with walls of pink and purple rock are perfect for coasteering.
TRAETH LLYFN
This is a wild and beautiful beach on the stretch of coast between Aberreidi and Porthgain. It is only accessible on foot, keeping the crowds away. The approach to the beach along the spongy coastal path and down a steep metal staircase cut into the cliffs, gives it a real sense of isolation. We found ourselves to be the only ones here on a day when sea mist enveloped the landscape. The wide stretch of golden sand faces directly west into the Irish Sea, enclosed by steep cliffs with black rocks emerging from the sand and rock pools to explore. The steps are the only way off the beach, so keep an eye on the incoming tide if you venture here.
PORTH Y RHAW
We pulled in by a gate near the road and found a footpath following the valley to Porth Y Rhaw. You cross a beautiful woodland stream that leads past a freshwater swimming lake down to this small low-tide rocky cove. On the approach down you can make out a few scattered remains of a former woollen mill that was active from the early 1800s up until the outbreak of World War II.
The rock formations are beautiful and many fossils have been discovered in this little inlet. There is a small waterfall, and along the rocks to the left, a deep pool that you can leap into. An Iron Age fort, which sits on the headland above, has been subject to extensive archaeological excavation. From here you can spot rusting shipwrecks in the next cove along.
FLIMSTON BAY
We found this low-tide beach during a walk to see the Elegug Stacks and the Green Bridge of Wales rock arch, and parked in the free car park for these. From here the beach is approximately 500 yards east along the coastal path. It is in a MoD range so access can sometimes be restricted and it is worth calling ahead with the Castlemartin Range at 01646 662367 or the Pembroke Visitor Centre at 01437 776499.
It was a beautiful day when we spotted the beach from the cliff tops above. One look at its clear blue waters and untouched golden sands punctured with two rock stacks, and we were smitten. It looks accessible by sea only, but I had read that there was a steep scramble down a gully and usually a rope in place to get down. After a while we managed to locate the gully hidden in the NW corner of the beach but unfortunately no rope was to be found. The climb down was a tricky one, made harder from the recent rainfall, however when we made it to the bottom it felt like we had been shipwrecked on our very own desert island. The descent really was worth the struggle and we enjoyed the odd passer-by’s puzzled looks from the cliff tops, wondering how we had reached the beach without a boat. It turned out to be quite the sun trap under the towering cliffs that shelter from all but warm southerly winds. With a sea cave to the right of the bay it makes for a perfect low tide swimming cove.
The beach collects lots of smooth natural driftwood in a variety of interesting shapes and sizes, although I was also sad to see the various bits of plastic that have washed up amongst it at the foot of the cliffs. I chose a few small pieces of the driftwood as a memento of our afternoon spent in the sun, and somehow managed to scramble back up the cliff with them.
BROADHAVEN SOUTH
We were lucky to have this gorgeous beach so close to where we were camping at Trefalen. It is an expansive sandy bay that is part of The National Trust owned Stackpole Estate, backed by beautiful dunes and Bosherston Lakes and lily ponds. The clean stream empties out of the lily ponds and runs alongside the beach, which opens out into an expanse of golden sand, scattered with intricate water rivulets. There are rock pools, caves and springs trickling from the cliffs to discover, as well as an islet called Star Rock, popular for jumping from at high tide. A rocky stack known locally as Church Rock sits offshore, beckoning to swimmers or kayakers.
We spent a hot afternoon here, an idyll of summertime. Being the school holidays the beach was popular with families but there was plenty of space for everyone to have their own little patch. It’s the perfect beach to while away an afternoon or for a quiet evening walk and swim.
To the west of the beach there are two secret sandy coves called Trevallan and Little Horn that are well worth exploring. A sea cave through a narrow headland connects the two and you can access them via steep tracks from the coastal path and a scramble down the rocks.
BARAFUNDLE BAY
This beach has won many awards for its beauty. Backed by gorse-flecked dunes, ancient woodland and ornamented by a trio of gothic arches, it is accessible only via steep paths cut in the limestone cliffs on either side. We walked across the cliff tops from Broadhaven South and approached the beach through the woodland on the northern headland. It was a hot day and peering down at the sheltered bay through the trees with its silvery soft sand and blue waters, we could have easily been on a Greek island. The sand was soft and the water warm, clean and perfect for swimming. On the far right corner you can swim out to three interconnected rock arches and to the left Lortus Cave leads to a secret low tide cove.
The beach feels like it is in a remote location, but the National Trust car park and tearooms at Stackpole Quay, are just a 15-minute walk away. After reading so many accounts of Barafundle being a must-see I expected it to be busy, especially on a hot August afternoon. This really didn’t take anything away from the beauty of the beach and we had a wonderful day spent swimming and reading in the sun. I imagine it to be a little slice of paradise out of season.
