The Pembrokeshire beach named the best in Wales

Freshwater West has been named the best beach in Wales by the Sunday Times

A Pembrokeshire beach has been named the best in Wales on a list of the UK's top beaches.

The wide and sandy Freshwater West has been a favourite of surfers for some time due to its strong rip currents.

Now it is one of ten Welsh beaches to feature on a Sunday Times list of the UK's top 50 beaches.

1. Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire

Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire

Freshwater West, in south Pembrokeshire, is a sandy and rocky beach which is backed by sand dunes.

The wide, west-facing beach is renowned among surfers, who head to Freshwater West in search of the perfect wave.

It has formed the backdrop for a number of films, including Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows and Ridley Scott's Robin Hood.

2. Llanddwyn, Anglesey

The old lighthouse at Llanddwyn Island

Llanddwyn on Anglesey is a blue-flag beach with views across Eryri - also known as Snowdonia - and the Llyn Peninsula.

It featured in House of the Dragon Season 2, which was partly filmed in Wales.

3. Porth Iago, Gwynedd

The secluded cover of Porth Iago, in Gwynedd

Porth Iago can be found along the Llyn Peninsula in north Wales.

An ancient hill fort overlooks the sandy beach, which is flanked by grassy headlands.

4. Penbryn, Ceredigion

Penbryn is a popular beach for stargazing

Penbryn in Ceredigion is managed by the National Trust.

The large sandy beach, which is backed by a dune system and cliffs, is a designated Dark Sky Discovery Site - making it a popular spot for stargazing.

There are a number of facilities, including a carpark and toilets, at the top of the lane near the beach.

5. Mwnt, Ceredigion

The beach at Mwnt in Ceredigion

Mwnt is considered to be one of the best places in Ceredigion to spot dolphins.

About 4.5 miles (7.2km) from Cardigan town centre, the sandy cove offers views across Cardigan Bay.

There’s a car park on top of the cliffs, with a small, stepped pathway down to the beach itself.

6. Manorbier, Pembrokeshire

Manorbier beach in Pembrokeshire

Manorbier beach in Pembrokeshire is a short trip from the nearby train station.

The sandy cove, which won a Green Coast Award in 2022, is backed by dunes, cliffs, and nearby woodland.

It has strong currents, making it a favourite spot for surfers.

7. Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire

A seven mile stretch of coast can be found at Pendine Sands

Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire is famous for its long, flat beach – the home of numerous land speed record attempts.

According to Visit Wales, the 7 mile (11km) sandy beach was used during World War Two to practise the D-Day landings.

8. Mewslade Bay, Gower

Mewslade Bay features unique rocky terrain along its sands

Mewslade Bay in the Gower Peninsula was described by the Sunday Times as “arguably the most beautiful beach on the Gower”.

Its rocky sands offer plenty to explore, with the nearby Paviland Cave the site of the oldest ceremonial burial in Western Europe.

9. Oxwich Bay, Gower

Water sports are a popular activity at Oxwich Bay

Oxwich Bay is one of the Gower Peninsula's most popular beaches.

Visitors to the 2.5 mile (4km) beach can walk over to the nearby Tor Bay and Three Cliffs Bay.

10. Cwm Nash, Vale of Glamorgan

Cwm Nash (or Monknash) features layered limestone cliffs

Also known as Monknash, the beach at Cwm Nash in the Vale of Glamorgan is set against a backdrop of steep cliffs.

Numerous archaeological discoveries have been made at Cwm Nash over the years.

In 2019, the skeletal remains of at least six people, believed to have been shipwreck victims, were found at the beach.

Five years earlier, archaeologists discovered two human leg bones - thought to be hundreds of years old - inside the crumbling cliffs.