Stunning UK Beaches to Head to during the Heatwave

As the UK experiences some of the warmest weather, why not head to one of the many idyllic beaches much closer to home?

These off the beaten track locations in Wales require no time slots and disappointed faces on arrival. They are ideal for families to explore, with no need for queuing and more time for relaxing in this week’s much needed sunshine.

Skrinkle Haven, Manorbier

Accessed by a long flight of steps, once you reach Skrinkle Haven you’ll see why it’s worth the effort. At the eastern end is Church Doors beach, a little cove which takes its name from the two high arched caves in the sandstone cliffs resembling the doors of a church. The beach was off limits to the public until the 1980s because it was situated beneath the firing arc of the Royal Artillery Range. It means that, although the beach has become popular for all kinds of activities including surfing, coasteering and boating, it still evokes a feeling of being largely unexplored.

For more information: http://beachguide.wales/pembrokeshire/skrinkle-haven.php

Blue Pool Bay, Gower

Blue Pool Bay is one of Gower’s most charming beaches – and one of Wales’ most secluded. No roads or lanes lead up to the beach and this, coupled with its sheltered position at the base of u-shaped cliffs, mean that only those who know about its existence frequent its clean sands.  At the southern end is the Three Chimneys rock arch where gold doubloons from an 18th century shipwreck have been found, but the beach’s main attraction is the eponymous natural rock-pool, deep enough to jump into from the rocks above.

For more information:  www.explore-gower.co.uk/blue-pool-bay

Mwnt, Ceredigion

A gloriously secluded beach overlooked by Mwnt’s famous cliffs, this is the perfect place to spot bottle nose dolphins, basking sharks and porpoise. Managed by the National Trust (and recognised as one of its top ‘special places’ in a public vote), Mwnt is situated off the beaten track and boasts stunning views over Cardigan Bay. The tiny white church above the beach looks straight out of a story book and is well worth a visit, too.

For more information: https://www.cardigan-bay.com/mwnt-beach-cardigan-bay.php

Bardsey Island

Bardsey is the ‘island of 20,000 saints’, who are supposedly buried here, far outnumbering the current population of living souls (just four). Bardsey has always been a place of refuge, retreat and pilgrimage. You can do it as a day-trip, or stay in one of nine self-catering cottages, which is the best way to see thousands of nocturnal Manx shearwaters ghosting back to their burrows, as well as seals and eye-catching fauna. It’s even home to ‘the world’s rarest apple’, nurtured by monks over 1,000 years ago. We call this place Ynys Enlli, which means ‘the island in the currents’.