Porth Iago

The walk down to Porth Iago takes you through proper farmland before the path opens out and suddenly the beach is there - a sheltered cove tucked beneath steep cliffs with just enough sand to make it feel special. It's the kind of place where you wonder why it isn't heaving with families, and then you realise the car park is tiny and you have to be fairly determined to find it in the first place.

The beach itself is small but well-formed, backed by cliffs that catch the sun and create a genuinely warm microclimate on decent days. Rocky outcrops at both ends give kids something to scramble about on without the danger of open water, and the shallow approach to the water means it's genuinely family-friendly. Low tide reveals more sand, but even at high tide there's enough space to spread out.

Walkers will find this rewarding - the clifftop path from nearby Pwllheli offers some of the best coastal views on this stretch, and Porth Iago serves as a natural midpoint or turnaround spot. Allow a good couple of hours if you're coming from town. Go when the tide is right and the light is decent; grey days here are genuinely dull.

Stay at Glampio Coed or Tyn Ddol - both just a couple of miles inland - and you can reach this without fighting for parking. It's not the most dramatic beach in Wales, but it punches above its weight for a quiet afternoon or a proper coastal walk. Bring a picnic.