Pembrey beach

The beach at Pembrey stretches for miles along the Carmarthen Bay coastline, backed by a proper working caravan park and holiday facilities that mean you can roll out of your static for a seaside stroll without much fuss. It's the kind of beach that rewards a low tide visit - vast expanses of sand open up, giving you genuine room to breathe. The water's cold year-round (this is Wales, after all), but the strand is excellent for families who want space for kids to run about without tripping over sunbathers.

The beach itself is free, naturally. Allow at least a couple of hours if you're walking the length of it, longer if you've got little ones dawdling over rockpools. Summer weekends get busy given the proximity to Swansea and the holiday parks clustered nearby - Pembrey Country Park Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite sits just 0.9 miles away, making this a genuine caravan park staple rather than a hidden treasure. That's not a criticism; it's honest.

Walkers get good value here. The sands connect to wider coastal paths, and you can leg it towards Burry Port without much effort. Families with young kids will find it manageable - no dramatic cliffs or dangerous currents to worry about. History buffs won't find much, mind. This is a functional beach for proper seaside breaks, not a place to queue for ice cream and call it culture. Visit on a quieter weekday morning in shoulder season if you want to appreciate its actual appeal rather than its car park capacity.