With the sun continuing to shine this weekend, many of us will have spent some time down by the beach, enjoying the warm weather and maybe even taking a dip in the water.
But let's face it, one of the most annoying parts of a beach trip is having to park your car a considerable distance away from the water before carrying your towel, deck chair, and anything else you might have brought with you through the sand and shingle to find a suitable spot to set up camp.
That's where Black Rock Sands at Morfa Bychan near Porthmadog in Wales shines - as you get to drive directly onto the sand, although strict parking regulations prevent you from parking too close to the sea (as it could put you and your vehicle in danger).
So what is a day at Black Rock Sands - which costs £6 to enter - really like? North Wales Live reporter Christopher Davies headed down to the attraction this week to find out. Read on to hear what he thought.
After a reasonable 15-minute queue to get on to the beach, and the £6 entry fee - making it perhaps the most expensive beach I've visited - I was finally able to drive onto the sands.
I headed for the dog-free zone, which sits on the northern end of the beach, edging my vehicle through lines of other cars, tents and everything else beachgoers had set up to test me with. Eventually, I lucked upon a decent spot to stop which wasn't too far from the sea but also far enough away that it wouldn't see me traipsing through people's tanning spots on my way towards the water.
Despite there 'being a system' for parking, it certainly felt like a chaotic mish-mash of vehicles parked up around me. I could just about make out some rough 'rows' but each had at least one car that had clearly missed the point or had either chosen to ignore them. That said, with just a small team at the gate and hundreds of cars jutting across the beach, I certainly wouldn't fancy the job of trying to organise it all.
Sadly, I had not planned this trip as an opportunity to spend the afternoon tanning and as such had not dressed appropriately for a day at the beach. Getting out of my car I tried to look cool, calm and collected in my jeans and shirt, knowing that underneath I was sweating buckets.
I was certainly met with a few odd looks as I strolled towards the sea, taking some pictures of the scenery as I went. However, once past the parking area, things really began to get strange.
As I began snapping pictures of the pristine sandy beach, attempting to avoid any close-ups, an off-road vehicle bearing a logo I didn't recognise rolled up just a short distance from me.
Behind the wheel were a couple of chaps in yellow t-shirts, similar to those I had seen at the gate when entering, who appeared to be making a few casual glances in my direction. Thinking nothing of it at first, I stepped a little further forward, snapping up a few more shots, and no sooner had I done so the car rolled even closer.
At this point I certainly found myself glancing backwards at it a little more, feeling a little awkward about taking any more pictures. As I waited I wondered what it was I was doing that caught their attention, was wearing jeans to the beach really that bad? They might be on to something there.
Eventually though, after another couple of minutes they slid off to check on someone else, and not feeling like hanging around I quickly dashed back to my car. Or at least I attempted to do so quickly - I found myself floundering trying to find my car amidst all the others.
In the end, I did find my car though, quickly making my way out of there. Ruminating on the unusual experience I had, I almost forgot how lovely the beach had been.
Ultimately it seems safe to say that these maritime beach patrols are in full swing, so next time you visit, be sure to show up at the beach in appropriate gear - otherwise, they might find you suspicious too.
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