Three Welsh beaches named among UK’s best for families

Nation.Cymru Staff

Three Welsh beaches have been named among the best in the UK for families with babies and toddlers in a new ranking of child-friendly seaside destinations.

JoJo Maman Bébé analysed some of the UK’s most popular beaches to help families preparing for their summer seaside holidays.

The rankings looked at metrics on accessibility, convenience, nearby amenities, water quality and online popularity to find the UK’s top family-friendly beaches overall.

Among them were three popular Welsh beaches, which JoJo Maman Bébé say make the country ” a no-brainer for a summer staycation spot”.

Tenby South Beach ranked third overall, scoring 4.6 with excellent water quality, short walking distances to nearby carparks, pushchair accessibility, and baby-changing facilities.

The sandy beach offers beautiful views of Caldey and St. Margarets Island, and at low tide it’s possible to walk to the neighbouring Castle beach.

Next, Traeth Llanddwyn ranked six overall. Though it lacks baby changing facilities, the beach on Ynys Môn has ramp access and excellent water quality, scoring 4.8 overall.

With dunes and rocky portions, Llanddwyn Beach is a great place to explore with little ones. The nearby nature reserve also has some longer walks, with a chance to spot wild ponies and rare red squirrels.

Finally, Whitesands Bay in St David’s is the last Welsh beach to place on the list, with pushchair accessibility, baby-changing facilities and excellent water quality.

Visit Wales highlights that Whitesands is “ideal for sandcastle building, paddling and swimming,” as well as watersports like wind-surfing and kayaking.

There are also lots of animal to spot, including seals and porpoises which are often spotted in the sea around the bay, alongside a variety of seabirds.

Elsewhere in the UK, Porthmeor Beach in St Ives took the top spot as the UK’s best beach for families with babies and toddlers, while Woolacombe Beach ranked second, standing out for having the highest percentage of family-friendly food venues in the entire top 10.

As little ones can be more sensitive to rising temperatures, JoJo Maman Bébé has spoken with pharmacist and health expert Thorrun Govind.

Thorrun says: “Sun hats are a good idea when spending time outdoors. Look for styles that help shade the face, ears and neck and are made from lightweight, breathable materials.”

“During warmer weather, parents may also find it helpful to keep extra fluids, sunscreen, a sun hat, spare comfortable clothing and an umbrella or parasol for temporary shade in their baby bag.”

“Apply sunscreen generously before heading outdoors and remember often-missed areas like the ears, neck and tops of feet. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, and more frequently after swimming, sweating or towel drying.”