Great beaches for family holidays in Wales

Here's our guide to what we believe are the best beaches in Wales for families. If you're after quiet family-friendly beaches, beautiful beaches with plenty of activities or sandy beaches with nearby attractions, then read on for some traditional beach holiday planning inspiration!

If you've got younger children, we've also got a great page about our favourite toddler-friendly beaches. 

Huge and picturesque, Barmouth beach is the pride of Eryri (Snowdonia). It’s one of the more popular North Wales beaches, but its sweeping sands are never overcrowded. Barmouth itself has been attracting holidaymakers since Victorian times. It’s a proper British seaside resort, complete with trampolines, ice creams, arcade games, donkey rides and a vintage steam railway just a short ferry ride across the estuary. Find out more on the Visit Snowdonia website.

• Flat promenade, with ramped access to the beach
• Unisex RADAR key accessible toilets and baby changing facilities available
• Accessible parking near the beach
• Dog restrictions on areas of the beach between April and September
• Barmouth railway station is close to the beach

The small holiday town of Benllech is set on a crescent-shaped bay, with fine sand that stretches for miles. One of the best beaches in Anglesey, it’s easy to get to, even for prams, pushchairs and wheelchairs.

• Flat promenade with cafés, access to the beach for wheelchairs and pushchairs
• Accessible toilets and pay and display car park nearby
• Dog restrictions in place - please check Anglesey Council's website for more info

There's always a lively, family atmosphere at Abersoch Main Beach. Though fairly sheltered, it's breezy enough to keep dinghy sailors on their toes. And in the August Regatta, things really hot up. Raft racing, crab catching and sandcastle-building contests bring out everyone's competitive side and there's a prize for the best-dressed beach hut, too. Nearby Abersoch Harbour Beach is quieter, but covered up at high tide.

• Accessible toilets 
• Ramped access to the beach
• Pay and display parking near the beach
• Dog exclusion zones in place between 1 April and 30 September

There are several magnificent Pembrokeshire beaches we could chose from - however, we’re cheating a bit here, since there’s not one fantastic beach in Tenby, but three - Castle Beach, North Beach and South Beach. The Rough Guide to Wales describes this pretty little town of brightly painted houses as 'everything a seaside resort should be' and it was recently voted one of the UK’s top five beach destinations in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.

• Lifeguards on the beaches during the summer
• Car parks near the beaches
• Beach wheelchair hire available - head to the Pembrokeshire Coast website for more information
• North Beach and Castle Beach - ramp to beach, accessible toilets, baby changing facilities
• South Beach - steep wooden walkway to beach, accessible toilets, baby changing facilities
• Seasonal dog restrictions on all beaches in Tenby

True to its name, Broad Haven North's sandy beach has acres of space for cartwheels and hopscotch. There’s also safe, shallow water for swimming, and quite a few rock pools to investigate. Here, on St Bride’s Bay, you’re right in the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, with several inspiring nature walks to choose from. It does get busy, so arrive early if you want a parking spot.

• Accessible toilets
• Ramped access to the beach
• Lifeguards during the summer
• Dog restrictions in place between May and September

Dale Beach is a safe, attractive, east-facing bay, mainly a pebble beach with some sand, and is a water sports paradise. Dale is an old fishing village, with charming pubs and cafés overlooking the beach.

• Accessible toilets
• Ramped access to beach
• There's a dog restriction zone between 1 May and 30 September

Like all the Gower beaches, Caswell Bay beach is blessed with good looks. The sand is fine and pale, and low, grassy-topped cliffs add a touch of drama. Just 10 minutes’ drive from the village of Mumbles, this is a great place for little ones to learn about marine life, with plenty of rock pools to explore, while bigger kids test out the surf.

• The beach is accessible for wheelchairs and buggies
• Changing Places and accessible toilets
• Floating beach wheelchair hire available 
• Seasonal dog ban from 1st May – 30th September
• The Visit Swansea Bay website has details for booking beach wheelchairs and getting the Changing Places access code

Hugely popular with those staying at the campsites nearby, this is a generous sweep of south-facing sand, dunes, pebbles and rock pools framed by attractive headlands. The pleasant village of Port Eynon offers ice cream, fish and chips and other treats, and the coastal path to Rhossili is one of Gower’s loveliest.

• Lifeguards between April and September
• Broadwalk and ramped access to beach, although sand height might affect easy access
• Accessible toilets
• Dog restrictions zone between 1 May and 30 September

There’s nothing flashy about the village of Llangrannog - it’s just a cluster of houses wedged between two headlands, with waves lapping at their toes. Boats perch on the shingle at the top of the beach, but the rest is sand and rockpools. The coastal footpath leads you through clouds of wild flowers that are alive with butterflies in summer.

• Accessible toilet and baby changing facilities
• Slipway onto the beach
• Lifeguards on duty during the summer
• Dog restrictions in place between 1 May and 30 September

Cefn Sidan is eight miles long, with safe water and easy access. Young nature detectives can climb the dunes to track down grasshoppers, beetles and other mini beasts in the Marram grass. The beach is part of Pembrey Country Park, which has play areas and an equestrian centre, dry ski slope and toboggan run.

• Lifeguards on duty in the summer months
• Beach wheelchair hire is available - book in advance by calling 01554 834443
• Accessible toilets and baby changing facilities. Changing Places facility available at the Ski & Activity Centre
• Dog restricted zones between 1 May and 30 September

Rest Bay Beach in Porthcawl provides a mix of natural beauty and activities that make it an ideal destination for a family day out. The beach offers stunning views with miles of golden sand and plenty of rock pools for kids to explore and discover marine life. The beach is popular with surfers and is home to Porthcawl Surf School, who offer surf lessons and improver courses all year-round, as well as hire for surf equipment, including wetsuits and boards. There are convenient café and toilet facilities, and a pay-and-display car park nearby.

• Lifeguards between May and September
• Several disabled parking bays are available overlooking the beach.
• A beach wheelchair is available from Rest Bay Watersports Centre, which overlooks the beach
• Dog restrictions zone between 1 May and 30 September

The Welsh coast can be fantastic fun and provides great opportunities for adventurous activities, but please read up on the risks and make sure you are prepared.

• Follow these tips from the RNLI for staying safe on the Welsh coast.
• Visit AdventureSmart.uk for further information on how to stay safe whilst exploring Wales.