Every year, thousands of tourists head to Pembrokeshire for the perfect holiday. People come to explore the most incredible views, the Pembrokeshire coast path, the seaside towns, and the amazing food scene. Although all of these things are wonderful and are definitely worth seeing, there is something else you just have to see. The beaches!
Pembrokeshire is packed with golden sandy beaches, pebble filled bays and secret coves. With so many beautiful beaches, how do you decide where to go? That’s where we can help: here are the three best beaches near beautiful St David’s.
Whitesands Beach
Whitesands Bay is one of the best three beaches near St Davids. It is a gorgeous sandy beach that has just won another Blue Flag Award. The Blue Flag Award is a world-renowned eco-label created by the Foundation for Environmental Education. Blue Flag has had a transformational impact on water quality, safety and environmental management for over three decades.
Whitesands is the perfect beach for a family day out as it really does have everything. Don’t want to drive? Take the Celtic Coaster Shuttle Bus down to the beach from St Davids (it only runs in the summertime). The drive from home farm to Whitesands Beach will only take you ten minutes. When you arrive you can park in the private car park which will cost you £5 for the day, but the car park does lead you straight onto the beach. Access to the beach is down one of two concrete ramps, so you may take pushchairs and wheelchairs down onto the beach. During the summer months, there are beach wheelchairs to hire, which you can pre-book by sending an email to shaunrhian@btinternet.com.
The beach itself has brilliant views all around; look behind you to see the craggy ancient cairn of Carn Llidi, or take your gaze out to sea, you never know what you’ll spot. There have been a few seal sightings from Whitesands Beach in the past. It is also one of the best surfing beaches in Pembrokeshire, so can get very busy with surfers. It is also very popular with canoeists, surfers, bodyboarders and stand-up paddleboarders.
During the summer months, the beach is patrolled by lifeguards (from the end of May to the beginning of September). There is also a dog restriction that applies to the entire length of the beach between 1st May and 30th September. Whitesands Beach House is open all summer long, serving food and drinks from 10 am-5 pm. There is also a public toilet just next to Whitesands Beach House which is the other end of the car park.
Porthlysgi Bay
Porthlysgi is one of the three best beaches near St Davids, it is a beautiful rocky cove with wonderful golden sand when the tide goes out. Many beautiful rock pools are also revealed, which are perfect for exploring on a sunny day. The secluded bay is accessible from the coast path about a mile west of Porthclais. There is a car park at Porthclais, which is a 6-minute drive from Home Farm.
The bay is said to be named after an Irish raider who landed in the cove, went ashore, and killed the local Celtic chieftain. Access to the beach is off of the coast path which is less than a mile’s walk away from Home Farm. The beach is also dog friendly all year round so you can bring your furry friends with you on your beach trip.
There are no facilities at this beach, unfortunately, but Porthclais is just a half an hour walk away on the coastal path. At Porthclais there are public toilets and the delightfully stocked Porthclais Kiosk which sells food, drinks and ice cream.
Porthselau Beach
Porthselau is another one of the three best beaches near St Davids, it is a tiny sandy cove just half a mile from Whitesands Beach. It is possible to walk over from Whitesands Beach to Porthselau at low tide. However, it is safest to walk over to Porthselau on the coast path.
It is just below Pencarnan Campsite so there are no facilities available to the public at Porthselau. It is only a twenty-minute walk away from Whitesands Beach where there are public toilets and a cafe as well as a car park.
Porthselau is the perfect place to take a dip, go kayaking or try out stand-up paddleboarding. Do be careful though as there are no lifeguards patrolling this beach. From the beach, you can even see the tremendous view over to St Davids Head and Carn Llidi.
Come and see the three best beaches near St Davids for yourselves, trust us you won’t regret it! For more ideas and activities for your Pembrokeshire holiday at Home Farm follow our Facebook page.