Feature

Two ‘hidden’ Welsh beaches named among best in UK

01 Sep 2026 3 minute read

Marloes sands on the Pembrokeshire coast. By Manfred Heyde (CC 3.0)

Nation Cymru staff

Two Welsh beaches have been named among the UK’s best hidden coastal gems, with one hailed as “the perfect British beach”.

Consumer champion Which? included Marloes Sands in Pembrokeshire and Fairbourne Beach in Gwynedd among just six lesser-known beaches singled out for praise.

The selection was compiled by award-winning travel journalist Jo Rhodes, who described the other Welsh entry as being “like something out of a picture book”.

Referring to this week’s Bank Holiday, Rhodes shared: “Many of us will be putting the wind break in the car boot and heading to the seaside for the long weekend.

“And there’s nothing more satisfying than finding a secluded, scenic beach away from the crowds.

“That’s why the Which? Travel team has shared its lesser-known coastal favourites – from a traditional fishing enclave to a pristine islet you can reach by foot (if you time the tides right).”

Among the two Welsh entries are St Cuthbert’s Island, Northumberland, Pakefield, Suffolk, Danes Dyke, East Yorkshire and Fraserburgh beach, Aberdeenshire.

First under the spotlight from Rhodes is Fairbourne Beach, Gwynedd.

Kate Pasola, Senior Writer, shares: “Though Barmouth is my favourite Welsh beach, having visited often when I was growing up, it can get overrun during the peak summer months.

“For something a little more peaceful, but with the same bright blue waters and mountainous landscapes, take a trip to Fairbourne.

“The journey is part of the experience — a ferry across the stunning estuary, then a short ride on the charming narrow-gauge Fairbourne Railway, which is like something out of a picture book. Otherwise, it’s a 30-minute drive.

Fairbourne beach. Photo by ant217 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Trevor Baker, senior writer, also chose a Welsh location – sharing that his favourite hidden beach is Marloes Sands, Pembrokeshire.

Baker writes: “I came here last year and it was exactly as I remembered it from when I was nine: a long walk down a cliff path to the perfect British beach, with rock pools and stones to clamber over – as well as a long stretch of sand and crashing waves.

“The only difference is that there’s now a fantastic café at the top near the National Trust car park.

“It’s not under-rated at all (everybody loves it) but it is hidden, in the sense that you have a steep 15-minute walk to get here (and a seemingly even steeper 20-minute walk to get back).”

As for whether Welsh readers would consider these beaches ‘hidden’ is another story.

View the article, ‘The UK’s best hidden beaches picked by travel experts’ in full here.

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