Wales’ best and worst beaches revealed in Tripadvisor study

An extensive new study has used Tripadvisor data to determine the best and worst beaches in Wales.

Beaches with 20 reviews or more were included and ranked by the percentage of excellent Tripadvisor reviews.

Marloes Sands Beach, located in Marloes, Pembrokeshire, takes the top spot with an 88.8 per cent excellent review rate from 267 total reviews, 237 of which are five stars. The beach sits within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and is only accessible on foot. Visitors have described it as “the most beautiful beach they have ever seen,” praising its “amazing views and scenery” and “incredible rock formations.”

Caerfai Bay in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, comes in second. Of its 26 total reviews, 23 are five stars, giving it an 88.5 per cent excellent rate. The beach’s reviews include mentions of it being a “hidden gem” and “must-visit area.” The beach has received zero poor or terrible Tripadvisor ratings.

With 1,985 reviews and 1,721 rated as excellent, Rhossili Bay in Rhossili, Swansea, earns third place. The beach has an 86.7 per cent excellent review rate. The beach spans three miles along the western tip of the Gower Peninsula, which became the first area in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Visitors mention “breathtaking views” and “beautiful sand” in their reviews.

Barafundle Beach in Stackpole, Pembrokeshire, places fourth with an 85.8 per cent excellent rate from 1,198 total reviews, 1,028 of which are five stars. Beachgoers describe the beach as “stunning” and praise its “gorgeous cliff top walk.” The beach is owned by the National Trust and it can only be reached by walking around half a mile from the nearest car park at Stackpole Quay.

Broad Haven South Beach near Bosherston, Pembrokeshire, comes fifth with an 84.2 per cent excellent rate, drawing 294 five-star reviews out of 349 total. The reviews include mentions that the beach is “worth seeing” and “picture-perfect.”

Sixth place goes to Llanddwyn Beach in Dwyran, Anglesey, which has 579 reviews, 481 of them five stars, for an 83.1 per cent excellent rate. Reviewers say that this beach is “spectacular” and has “pristine sands with clear waters.”

Traeth Mawr, near Aberffraw on the west coast of Anglesey, takes seventh place with an 81.7 per cent excellent rate. Visitors have left reviews that mention it has “beautiful sands” and that it is “lovely and clean.” Of its 104 reviews, 85 are five stars and the beach has zero poor or terrible ratings.

Mwnt Beach in Cardigan, Ceredigion, earns eighth place. It has 1,002 reviews, 815 rated as excellent, putting it at 81.3 per cent. The small cove is owned by the National Trust and is one of the best-known spots in Wales for seeing bottlenose dolphins. Visitors say that the beach is a “little haven” and a “stunning find.”

Harlech Beach in Harlech, Gwynedd, places ninth with an 81.1 per cent excellent rate from 672 total reviews, 545 of which are five stars. The beach stretches for several miles beneath the town’s medieval castle, which gives it one of the most distinctive backdrops of any beach in the country. Reviewers mention that the beach has “fantastic sunsets” and “great sand dunes.”

Rounding out the top 10 is Aberdyfi Beach in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd, with an 80.3 per cent excellent rate from 223 total reviews, 179 of them five stars. Reviewers describe it as “beautiful with sand dunes and a lovely clear sea.”

The five lowest-rated beaches among those with 20 or more reviews make for a notable contrast to the top of the list. The worst performing of all was Abersoch Harbour Beach in Gwynedd, which recorded just 13.3 per cent excellent reviews from 30 total reviews. Aberystwyth North Beach in Ceredigion was next with just 30.9 per cent from 68 reviews, followed by Llantwit Major Beach in the Vale of Glamorgan at 36.7 per cent from 207 reviews. North Shore Beach in Llandudno came in at 37.3 per cent from 236 reviews, and Rhyl Beach in Denbighshire rounded out the bottom five with an excellent review rate of 38.8 per cent from 345 reviews.

A spokesperson said: “The highest-rated beaches in Wales have beautiful scenery and require a bit more effort to reach, which can make the experience feel more rewarding for visitors. Beachgoers mention the scenery, clean surroundings, and memorable views when reviewing their favourite beaches. For Wales, it reinforces the appeal of its more remote coastal destinations.

“Pembrokeshire performing so strongly in the rankings also shows how much travellers value coastal areas that still feel unspoiled. Rhossili Bay and Barafundle Beach are backed by thousands of independent reviews, which suggests that their popularity extends beyond local tourism. Many of the beaches near the top of the list are known for walking routes, cliffs, dunes, or wildlife rather than traditional seaside attractions. As temperatures rise heading into summer, travellers may be placing greater value on beaches that feel less crowded and more scenic.”

Methodology: A list of Wales’ beaches was generated from Tripadvisor. The data collected includes the number of reviews, percentage of excellent reviews, number of excellent through terrible reviews, overall Tripadvisor rating, and popular phrases that appeared in the reviews written by visitors. The beaches that had a minimum of 20 reviews were ranked by percentage of excellent reviews.

Source: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g186425-Activities-c61-t52-Wales.html