North Wales beaches among UK's best in The Times 2025 guide
Introducing the list, Mr Haslam said: "[The fact] that I completed this tour of inspection under mainly blue skies made choosing the top 50 — ten of which are new entries — even harder.
"If it feels like I've moved away from easily-accessed urban shores to include more rural beaches, that's because the glitter seems tarnished in too many of our resort towns.
"I've seen businesses struggling with rising costs, councils cutting budgets and water quality falling as infrastructure has failed to keep pace with population growth.
"That's not true of all town beaches though: Bude, Frinton on Sea, Roker, Saundersfoot and Skegness made the top 50, and others including Cromer, Felixstowe, Torquay and Mumbles came close.
"The truth remains, though, that our coast is still the most beautiful and most varied on earth, and there's much to discover beyond the most obvious spots.
"So pack a picnic and the factor 50 and make 2025 the summer of the beach that's a little harder to reach."
See which Welsh beaches featured among the UK's best in the 2025 edition of The Times and Sunday Times Best Beaches Guide. (Image: Getty Images)
The beaches in Wales ranked among the best in the UK, according to The Times, are:
Shell Island, located in Llanbedr, was voted Wales' Beach of the Year by The Times.
The Gwynedd beach was commended for a range of things, including its views past Harlech to Eryri National Park and across Cardigan Bay to the Llyn Peninusla.
Shell Island also boasts "one of Europe's biggest campsites" with 300 acres of fields, where pitches range from "convenient" to "wild" and from beachside to woodland.
Day visits are £10 per car and camping pitches are £13 per person (in high season).
A post shared by S🌟P⭐️A🌟R⭐K🌟L⭐E (@sparkle_my_soul)
Chris Haslam from The Times said: 'I knew Shell Island was a winner when I parked up beside the dunes.
"I could see Eryri (Snowdon) to the north, the Llyn Peninsular to the west and, right in front, a beach of flat sand that glittered with seashells.
"I could have spent a very happy week camping here.'
There is plenty more to like about Shell Island, The Times added.
The news outlest explained: "At the northern end, around the harbour, the shore is rocky — turning to flat, sugar-soft sand as you head south
"The beachcombing is astonishing: perfect scallops, fragile tusks and razors, unblemished turitellas and, most prized by conchologists, tiny cowries."
It is worth checking the tide times before visiting, as the island is cut off for two hours each day during high tide.
Shell Island is also dog-friendly and has a café and toilet facilities.
The Llyn Peninsula is an amazing place to visit, according to The Times, and there are plenty of "joys" just waiting for people to come and visit.
The news outlet explained: "It's home to Britain's best campsite (Bert's Kitchen Garden in Trefor); arguably our best small brewery (Cwrw Llyn in Nefyn); and Wales's most famous pub (Ty Coch, accessible only on foot, on the beach at Porthdinllaen).
"Here you'll also screech along the UK's most musical beach (Porthor — aka Whistling Sands — where the grains are so fine they squeak underfoot), and find an Italianate village that belongs in the Cinque Terre (Portmeirion).
"This coast is like Cornwall in the 1930s."
In the southernmost corner of the Llyn beaches, you will find Aberdaron.
When was the last time you visited Aberdaron? (Image: Getty Images) "A bend of sand a mile wide sheltered by the Mynydd Mawr peninsula, crossed by the River Daron and overlooked by the dining terrace of the delightful Gwesty Ty Newydd hotel," The Times continued.
"The left-hand end of the beach, the only part where dogs are welcome, is the prettiest."
The water quality at Aberdaron beach is rated excellent, while there are also toilets and a café.
It's not just the experts who think highly of Aberdaron beach, but visitors as well, with it boasting a 4.5 rating (out of 5) on Tripadvisor from 93 reviews.
One person, commenting about their beach experience, said: "On my own I really enjoy seeing the children, families and so many happy dogs interacting. There is [also] a dog free area.
"The sea is safe, shallow entry. Beach was a gritty sand, comfortable to walk on, easy to clean off."
When it comes to the best beaches in the UK, Traeth Llanddwyn, located on the south-west corner of Anglesey, is usually always on the list. And it's easy to see why.
Ynys Llanddwyn boasts six "candy coves" and views of Eryri National Park and the Llyn Peninsula. (Image: Patrick Glover) It is described as a "fairytale" beach by The Times and "magical" by visitors on Tripadvisor, where it boasts a near-perfect 4.8 rating from 578 reviews.
The Times said: "After driving through the dark depths of the Newborough Forest you'll come to a three-mile beach.
"To your right, you'll see Llandwyn Island with two white towers, two stone crosses and a ruined church.
"The former are old lighthouses; the latter are dedicated to St Dwynwen, a 5th-century princess who pledged her life to God here on Ynys Llanddwyn after suffering a broken heart.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Secret North Wales beach named among the best in the UK and a must-visit
North Wales village with 'scenic' pub and secret beach among UK's most beautiful
'Vibrant' seaside town in North Wales among the UK's best to move to in 2025
"She is now Wales's patron saint of lovers — honoured on her feast day of January 25 — and there's an awful lot to love about her island: six sandy coves and views of Eryri and the Llyn, seen as though across an enchanted lake."
The water quality is rated excellent, there are toilet facilities, and it is dog-friendly.
There is also often a good truck in the car park called Y Pantri Bach.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
UK holiday park reveals major £8.1million makeover plans with new holiday cabins and campsite
Plus, the same company plans to open a new holiday park elsewhere in the UK CAMP OUT UK holiday park reveals major £8.1million makeover plans with new holiday cabins and campsite Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HOLIDAY park has revealed major plans for an £8.1million makeover with new cabins in Wales. Forest Holidays is hoping to gain permission to replace 85 caravans and camping pitches at its site in Beddgelert, in Snowdonia National Park. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A Welsh holiday park is planning a £8.1million makeover Credit: Eryri National Park 3 The site plans to add 22 year-round cabins to its park based in Beddgelert in Snowdonia National Park Credit: Getty The site plans to add 22 year-round, luxury cabins to its existing 16 cabin development and 85 additional pitches for both touring caravans and camping. In addition, Forest Holidays wants to create a new reception and cafe building. Currently, the site has 25 touring caravan pitches and 85 camping pitches. The proposals are part of a wider plan in collaboration with the Roberts Group - the owners of Cae Du and Cae Canol campsite, also in Beddgelert. Under a separate application, there will be more touring and camping pitches at Cae Du and Cae Canol so the village doesn't lose capacity. Public toilets and better path access for guests are also part of the plans. Back in 2017, the site gained planning consent for 16 cabins and up to 85 touring caravan pitches and camping pitches. Forest Holidays has 13 sites across the UK in woodlands owned by Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, and Natural Resources Wales. The Beddgelert site is the smallest of the Forest Holidays locations and is set in a riverside wooded area. Each cabin currently has a hot tub and guests can enjoy access to the new Elvis Owl Nature Trail - which is ideal for kids as it includes activities to immerse them in nature. This holiday park has Maldives-like overwater bungalows Families can also hire bikes from the site, to explore the local area on wheels. Alternatively, guests can get some R&R with a spa treatment. Prices to stay at the holiday park vary, but can be found from £895 for a week, for a family of four. Beddgelert itself is a picturesque stone-built village, which is the ideal base for exploring Snowdonia National Park. From the village, travellers can head onto the Lôn Gwyrfai path which can be used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The route stretches over four miles to the village of Rhyd Ddu - which is then a good starting point to hike to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). According to Forest Holidays, since opening in 2018 demand for the 16 cabins at Beddgelert has been high throughout the year. The site also expects annual occupancy levels of the cabins to be 96 per cent, with guests expected to spend £650,000 per annum in the local area as well. Forest Holidays plans £23million woodland park with lodges, treehouses and play zones A NEW £23million woodland holiday park with lodges, treehouses and play zones is set to open in the UK. Forest Holidays, which submitted the plans for the project, hopes to build 75 timber holiday cabins on 140 acres in a Derbyshire woodland at Farley Moor. If approved, the holiday park would feature a shop, cafe, outdoor play area and 249 parking spaces. The whopping £23million project will be able to host 185 people with cabin sizes varying from one to five beds along with treehouse rooms. Forest Holidays plans to suspend all cabins above the ground on steel pillars to protect the forest floor. The cabins would be a flat-pack design reducing the need for heavy construction equipment. Center Parcs' boss also recently revealed what to expect from its brand new holiday park in the UK. Plus, the lesser-known UK holiday park named the best in the country – with unique all-inclusive stays and free booze.
Time Out
4 hours ago
- Time Out
This spectacular national park in northern Spain has been crowned best in Europe
You can tell a lot about a country by its national parks. These preserved and protected spaces help teach visitors about the country's natural landscape, resources, wildlife, weather and local produce, all while offering visitors the chance to disconnect from screens and reconnect with the earth. Europe alone offers over 460 parks to explore, so Iglu Cruise studied TripAdvisor data to rank the best of the best of the continent. The top contender? P arque Nacional Ordesa y Monte Perdido in Spain. This Pyrenees park stretches its jagged mountain peaks, elevated cerulean lakes and mouth-dropping waterfalls across 156 kilometres along the northeastern border between Spain and France. If you're a nature junkie, Ordesa is your enabler, offering activities like hiking, whitewater rafting, camping, canyoning, rock climbing and then some. Experienced climbers flock to Monte Perdido, or 'the lost mountain', the Pyrenees' third-highest summit, for adrenaline-pumped climbing, while the Escupidera, Perdido's final section, is a cold, icy challenge even in summer. Less experienced nature dwellers will still be in awe down on the Ordesa Valley Floor, where a 16k route winds through fields of flowery meadows, silver-fir forests and waterfalls-a-plenty. Maybe you'll stumble upon some of the wildlife or herds of curious cows grazing, accompanied by their shepherd, steering them away from dangerous edges. Taking second place is Slovenia's Triglav National Park, where the highest peak of the Julian Alps, Mount Trivalgo, stands at just under 2900 metres. Take the challenge of this intermediate trek, or, if you're looking for a journey on wheels, cycle on the Radovna Cycle Route in the Radovna Valley on the park's western border, suited for all levels. Wales' Snowdonia National Park (or Eryri) comes third, with 823 square miles of stunning Welsh wilderness. Climb the mighty Mount Snowdon, walk through its lakeside trails or simply camp out among Wales' countryside, taking in the fresh air and lush green hills. Did all this nature talk tempt you to a nearby trail? Check out our roundup of the 20 best hikes in the world after reading the rest of the Iglu Cruise winners below. The top 10 national parks in Europe 1. Parque Nacional Ordesa y Monte Perdido, Spain 2. Triglav National Park, Slovenia 3. Eryri/Snowdonia National Park, Wales 4. Maddalena Archipelago National Park, Italy 5. Killarney National Park, Ireland 6. Caldera de Taburiente National Park, Spain 7. Parc National Des Calanques, France 8. New Forest National Park, 9. Goreme National Park, Turkey 10. Parque Nacional de Garajonay, Spain
Western Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Tenby and St Davids beaches among the cleanest in UK
Tenby's North Beach and Whitesands Bay in St Davids were listed among 15 beaches with zero mentions of litter in Tripadvisor reviews, according to a study by plastic waste experts The findings come as the UK experienced its third heatwave of the year, raising concerns about rising litter levels at coastal destinations. Graham Matthews, a plastic waste expert at said: "Litter on the UK's beaches turns our natural beauty spots into an eyesore and poses a huge environmental threat to marine life. "Each year, as the weather heats up, we see a sharp rise in people flocking to the seaside, but sadly, many don't clean up after themselves. "It's common to find food packaging, disposable BBQs, and even human and animal waste scattered across our shores." Mr Matthews said the public has a key role to play in keeping beaches clean. He said: "Beachgoers must take responsibility for the impact of their visit. "You should always bin any litter or take it home with you if this isn't possible. "Remember to bring a bag with you to collect any rubbish once you've finished your visit." North Beach in Tenby was one of three Welsh beaches with zero litter mentions in the study, alongside Whitesands Bay in St Davids and Traeth Crigyll in Anglesey. The cleanest beach in the UK was Southwold Pier in Suffolk. In contrast, Skegness Beach in Lincolnshire was named the UK's most littered, with 4.91 per cent of 994 reviews mentioning rubbish. Visitors reported children finding rubbish in the sand and described the area as 'dirty and run down.' Mr Matthews said: "Local councils may find it hard to keep on top of litter, especially during unpredictable peak periods. "Simple provisions like signage, employing local volunteers, and providing litter picking equipment for the public can make a huge difference. "Outside of this, the best deterrent is to issue fines to those who continue to litter our natural beauty spots."
