Barmouth Beach

Two miles of golden sand curving around Cardigan Bay - that's what you get at Barmouth Beach, and it's genuinely one of the best stretches of coastline in North Wales. The beach itself is properly broad at low tide, which means proper room to breathe, and the water's clean enough for swimming if you're brave enough to handle the Atlantic temperature.

The town of Barmouth sits right at the beach's edge, so you're not trudging miles from the car park. There's a wooden bridge - the Barmouth Railway Bridge - that runs parallel to the sand, which is a decent spot for photos if you fancy a walk without getting your feet wet. The promenade has ice cream shops and fish and chips places, the kind of seasoned holiday infrastructure that just works without trying too hard.

It's the sort of beach that suits everyone. Families with young children can dig about in the sand for hours, older kids might fancy a paddle or trying to skim stones across the bay. Walkers should push north along the coastal path toward Fairbourne - the views across to Snowdonia in the distance are worth the leg work. Allow a good three hours if you're doing the full works: a swim, a wander, and sitting around watching the tide.

If you're camping at Hendre Mynach or Graig Wen nearby, this is your beach. It's free to access, open all hours, and there's something about a Welsh beach that beats the English seaside every time. Worth the detour? Absolutely.