Wales

Wales beaches

What our guide lists, with the official pages for water quality, lifeguards and safety. Check them on the day you go.

Beaches listed on this page.

Before you go

Official classifications and any pollution warnings are published by the environment agency. We do not copy them because they change.

Red and yellow flags mark the lifeguarded zone, the safest place to swim or bodyboard. A red flag means nobody should enter the water, and black and white chequered flags are for craft such as paddleboards and kayaks, not swimmers. Met Office: 10 beach safety tips (opens in new tab)
An orange windsock means offshore wind. Do not use inflatables, because they can carry you out to sea. HM Coastguard: On the beach (opens in new tab)
A rip current is a channel of churning, choppy water or drifting debris running out to sea. If caught, do not fight it: wade if you can stand, otherwise swim parallel to the beach, raise a hand and call for help. Met Office: Understanding rip currents (opens in new tab)
Rising tides can trap people in bays, coves and on sandbars with little warning. Check tide times and the weather, go exploring as the tide falls, and learn the exit points. HM Coastguard: Coastal safety (opens in new tab)

Each entry links to the official pages we could read. A missing line means we found no official statement, not that the answer is no.

Beach

Remote curved sandy beach near Stackpole Quay, on the National Trust's Stackpole Estate.

Water quality: Environment Agency Wales: bathing water profiles (check whether this beach is designated) (opens in new tab)
Safety: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: Barafundle Bay (lifeguard and safety information) (opens in new tab)
Lifeguards: The national park page says there are no lifeguards at this beach. Source (opens in new tab)
Dogs: The national park page says dogs are allowed year round. Source (opens in new tab)
Access: The national park page says the beach is reached by a half-mile walk from Stackpole Quay parking lot, via steps, and is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Source (opens in new tab)
The national park page asks visitors to read and obey the safety signs, usually at the beach entrance. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: Barafundle Bay (opens in new tab)
General coastal advice from HM Coastguard: check tide times before you go, learn the exit points, watch which way the tide is moving, and keep well back from cliff edges and cliff bases. HM Coastguard: Coastal safety (opens in new tab)

Beach

Beach on the St Davids peninsula in the national park, about two miles west of the city.

Water quality: Environment Agency Wales: bathing water profiles (check whether this beach is designated) (opens in new tab)
Dogs: Pembrokeshire County Council lists Whitesands, St Davids, among beaches with a total dog ban from May 1 to September 30. Source (opens in new tab)
General coastal advice from HM Coastguard: check tide times before you go, learn the exit points, watch which way the tide is moving, and keep well back from cliff edges and cliff bases. HM Coastguard: Coastal safety (opens in new tab)

Beach

Bay on the south coast of Gower named for the three sea cliffs that jut out into it.

Water quality: Environment Agency Wales: bathing water profiles (check whether this beach is designated) (opens in new tab)
General coastal advice from HM Coastguard: check tide times before you go, learn the exit points, watch which way the tide is moving, and keep well back from cliff edges and cliff bases. HM Coastguard: Coastal safety (opens in new tab)

Beach

Bay and village at the south-western tip of Gower, known for panoramic views from the headland and Rhossili Down.

Water quality: Environment Agency Wales: bathing water profiles (check whether this beach is designated) (opens in new tab)
General coastal advice from HM Coastguard: check tide times before you go, learn the exit points, watch which way the tide is moving, and keep well back from cliff edges and cliff bases. HM Coastguard: Coastal safety (opens in new tab)

Environment Agency Wales: bathing water profiles (opens in new tab). National lookup for designated bathing waters; used as the pointer for water quality, no beach-specific claim. Checked on 2026-10-25.
HM Coastguard: Coastal safety (cliffs and tide cut-off) (opens in new tab). General cliff and tide cut-off advice. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: Barafundle Bay (opens in new tab). Dogs year round, no lifeguards, access by steps and not suitable for wheelchairs. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Pembrokeshire County Council: Summer beach bans (opens in new tab). Whitesands listed under total dog bans, May 1 to September 30. Checked on 2026-10-25.