Porthor Beach in North Wales has been named one of the best beaches in the UK by The Times. The list of the country's 50 best beaches was compiled by chief travel writer Chris Haslam after five weeks of travel, covering 4,307 miles and inspecting 607 beaches across Britain and Northern Ireland.
Remote Beauty and Unique Features
Located on the west coast of the Llyn Peninsula, a finger of land reaching into the Irish Sea, Porthor Beach offers a remote experience without noisy arcades or crowded chip shops. It is backed by sloping green cliffs and features a vast sweeping beach. The beach is also known as Whistling Sands, named for the squeaking noise made when walking on dry parts of the sand.
The Times highlights the beach's other name: "Whistling Sands — so-called for the squeaking noise made when you walk on dry parts of the beach. To be honest, silicon acoustics are the least of the reasons you should walk down from the National Trust car park to this beauty."
Beachside Café Caffi Porthor
The Times praises the beachside café, Caffi Porthor, as a surprising gem in such a remote spot, especially noting the cake. The café is open daily from 10am to 5pm, and there are toilets nearby. The article also mentions decent rock-pooling on the left of the beach at low tide and a gentle paddle north around the Trwyn Glas headland to the smaller beach at Porth Iago.
Visitor Reviews and Practical Information
Porthor Beach has amassed hundreds of five-star reviews on Google. One visitor, Nitram, wrote: "What an amazing bay, beautiful sand and a lapping sea, there is plenty of parking, also a fantastic cafe right on the beach, you also have toilets too. This is one if not my favourite beach, there are also plenty of walks available around this area, the road to the beach from the carpark is tarmaced all the way down so it's a pleasant walk down and easy for pushchairs and electric scooters." Another visitor, Richard, said: "Beautiful place, very calm and the cafe on the beach is excellent. Thoroughly recommend breakfast."
The car park (postcode LL53 8LH) is approximately 200 metres from the beach and uses pay and display machines accepting coins or payment via the JustPark app. It is free for National Trust members. From the car park, visitors can also access the Wales Coast Path in either direction to explore more of the Llyn Peninsula's stunning scenery.
