When the sun is shining nothing beats spending a day at the beach. Everyone has their go-to coastal spot, but there’s one stunning cove in North Wales which has seen a surge in popularity.
With a small, sandy beach nestled between two headlands and gentle waves lapping the shore, Porth Iago is a picture-postcard location. Located on the north-west side of the Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, this charming beach has only recently been rediscovered.
In its 1970s heyday Porth Iago had a bustling campsite occupying more than 30 acres. However, following the death of a member of the Ty Mawr farming family that owns the surrounding land, camping virtually ceased in the area, North Wales Live reports.
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Yet visitors were still lured by the area’s natural beauty and the site is now back up to eight acres. Like lots of places its popularity has soared since the pandemic as people rediscover what’s on their doorstep.
Take one look at Porth Iago and it’s easy to see why. Insta-friendly opportunities beckon everywhere, from turquoise waters to staggering sunsets that envelop Cardigan Bay in a golden glow. Stars leap from nighttime skies and this spring it’s been an ideal spot to view the Northern Lights. As one enraptured campsite reviewer said last July, there is something “elemental” about the place.
You don’t have to camp here to enjoy Porth Iago, either. Day visitors can pay a £5 parking charge to explore the headlands or clamber down to the sandy beach for a dip. Passing walkers on the Wales Coast Path need only pay £1.
Although popularity has a downside. “People have begun coming in coaches but we’re not a big site and there’s no way we can allow that,” said site manager Chris, who asked for his surname to be withheld.
“Last summer a coach party from Birmingham called to ask if they could come and we said that, unfortunately, they couldn’t. They came anyway, so we had to turn them back. They drove all the way back to Bimingham.”
Other requests have been rejected too. Last year a couple wanted to book the entire site for a wedding. As this would have meant closing public access to the beach, the owners couldn’t allow it.
But they are fully aware of Porth Iago’s romantic appeal. Two couples got engaged there in 2022, and several wedding blessings were held on the beach. Sunsets on the clifftops are made for romantic moments.
Regular visitors quickly secure their camping spots year after year and the entire 2023 camping season was booked up even before the end of the last one. Many are regulars who, once on the roster, return year after year. The oldest is aged 94, a great-grandmother who visited with her parents, probably not long after the farm fields were first opened up to campers in 1934. Now she stays for eight weeks each summer, bringing three generations of the family with her.
“Others have been returning here for 50 or 60 years,” said Chris. “A lady teacher comes every school holiday and some retired people come for a few days almost every week.”
Lonely Planet named Porth Iago as the best wild camping beach in Wales, while the Sunday Times called it the Llŷn Peninsula’s “prettiest beach”. Last autumn the campsite won the North Wales category of Channel 4's The Perfect Pitch series. Reviewers are equally enthusiastic.
One called it their “little utopia”, adding, “With no hint of hyperbole, this little sandy cove with crystal clear water is one of the best beaches In the world in my opinion.". Another said: “I had the experience of the best sunset ever from this location. This camping trip will be in my top 10 favourites ever.”
The two headlands of Dinas and Graig Ddu shelter the beach and turn it into a southwest-facing suntrap. Getting down to the beach can be a little daunting – just take it slowly and soak up the views.
The crystal clear waters below are perfect for swimming and snorkeling. One couple who visited last summer wrote: “In this bay alone we saw sand eel, wrasse, crabs, baby jellyfish fish and small whiting. The next day we were spoilt by a display of dolphins.”
There are no facilities on the beach but over winter the campsite's toilet and shower block has been refurbished. A burger van offers a lifeline for guests in the form of bacon baps, sausage rolls and ice-cream. There's freshly-made pizza too.
Another plus – guests say the site is spotless, with everyone observing requests to take their litter home with them. “In all my years here, I’ve never had to pick up a single piece of litter,” said Chris.
Access to the site is via a private drive that passes through Ty Mawr farmyard. Drive a little further and you’ll see the pay-and-display parking machine. Dogs are allowed on the beach but owners should keep them inside their vehicles when driving through the farmyard.
Despite clear demand, and the potential to increase revenue, there are no plans to expand the campsite. “There are no shops in heaven,” said Chris. “You can’t take your money with you.”
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