![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2_Carmarthenshire_2024-17.jpg\")
Winter is the best time to visit if you want the beach to yourself (Image: Portia Jones )<\/p>\nNever mind busy summer days, winter is where it’s at<\/p>\n
15:45, 23 Nov 2025Updated 15:51, 23 Nov 2025<\/p>\n
Winter is the best time to visit if you want the beach to yourself (Image: Portia Jones )<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to make a bold claim and say that winter is actually the best time to hit Wales\u2019 beaches. The chaos of summer slides away, parking becomes vaguely civilised, and the coastline suddenly feels like it\u2019s reverted to its natural state, windswept, dramatic, and not full of people setting up a mini festive site playing terrible music.<\/p>\n
For me, winter beaches are quieter, wilder, and strangely more rewarding than the peak-season chaos. Our popular spots are empty of summer tourists, and you can plod along the sands of Rhossili, Barafundle, Poppit Sands, Ogmore and Langland in relative peace, especially if you’re an early riser like me.<\/p>\n
In the dead of winter, you can walk for miles along our beaches and coast paths and only come across hardcore beach lovers and dog walkers.<\/p>\n
![\"While](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_WhatsApp-Image-2025-04-30-at-121746jpeg.jpg\")
Wrap up and enjoy our lovely coastlines (Image: Portia Jones )<\/p>\n
While summer is perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and epic 9pm sunsets, I have come to appreciate wrapping up warm, grabbing a hot chocolate and enjoying the stillness of Welsh beaches in winter.<\/p>\n
Sure, the weather<\/a> might not be as sunny, but this is Wales. Frankly, you can have a torrential downpour in August and a mini-heatwave in late September. It’s completely unpredictable, so you may as well take a chance.<\/p>\n While one of the main benefits is that it can be quieter, another bonus is that accommodation can be cheaper (especially if you bag a great deal). Accommodation-wise, I’ve found that you can get some pretty good deals in the off-season \u2013 especially if you visit midweek rather than at the weekend.<\/p>\n One of my favourite spots for a cheap coasta break is YHA Manorbier<\/a> \u2013 a very affordable stay that’s a short drive from the town centre.<\/p>\n This budget-friendly hostel, situated on a former military installation, offers glamping and camping facilities and costs under \u00a350 for a private en-suite room for two (YHA members pay even less). From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What\u2019s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n You can also look for deals on seaside B&Bs, lodges, and even sea-view spa hotels like The Cliff Hotel & Spa<\/a>. This cliffside retreat in Cardigan offers panoramic views, indulgent spa treatments, and great off-peak deals.<\/p>\n You can often find deals like this during the off-season in Wales. If you do your research and check sites like Booking.com<\/a>, Sykes Cottages, and Groupon<\/a>, you can find great off-season prices on hotels and cosy self-catering stays.<\/p>\n Traversing the blustery shoreline in winter is another unexpected joy. Wales has an extraordinary 870-mile-long coast path, the first in the world to trace an entire nation\u2019s shoreline. The famous trail is bursting with dramatic headlands, hidden coves, ancient ruins, and a wealth of wildlife.<\/p>\n While walking its full length is a bucket-list challenge, you don\u2019t need to be an ultra-hiker to enjoy its best bits. Throughout the long-distance route, there are countless short walks and circular trails that offer epic coastal scenery without requiring a full-scale winter expedition.<\/p>\n I love plodding along the clifftops with cold air whipping around me and crashing waves below. There\u2019s a strange satisfaction in knowing that everyone else has decided walking in sub-zero temperatures is not their idea of fun. You can explore coves, scramble over rocks, and watch waves rage against the craggy cliffs without anyone interrupting your thoughts or asking if your dog is friendly.<\/p>\n One of my favourite short treks combines sea views, ruins and a lush fish and chip shop in a tiny hamlet – the Abereiddi to Porthgain walk in Pembrokeshire<\/a>, which is still enjoyable in winter.<\/p>\n This 6.3km out-and-back trail is well known to cliff divers and is generally considered an easy route. It’s suitable for a range of walkers, from beginners to experienced hikers, and has one of Wales’ best fish-and-chip spots along the way. You can read more about this walk here<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a cold-water swimmer, and yes, I am guilty of this smug habit, winter beaches are where you can really challenge yourself. The sea is bracing, the wind is wicked, and the adrenaline spike from stepping into near-freezing water is real. Yet, there\u2019s nothing like the sense of achievement when you emerge blue-lipped and unable to feel your face.<\/p>\n Early mornings are the best. Get up before dawn, pick a quiet stretch, and you\u2019ll often have the waves entirely to yourself. The Atlantic in January is not forgiving, but it rewards those who dare. Just remember, hypothermia isn\u2019t a personality trait. Swim responsibly, bring a robe, a warm hat, and maybe a thermos of hot coffee.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve regained some circulation, there are now several ways to warm up dramatically, thanks to a wave of wood-fired saunas that have appeared along the coast.<\/p>\n These are not mere gimmicks for hipsters; they are the ideal winter beach companions. Hikitalo at Rest Bay is one of my favourite spots for warming after a cold-water dip in the sea.<\/p>\n Hwyl Outdoor Sauna on Saundersfoot beach is listed in the top 20 wild saunas in the UK by the Times and is located in Saundersfoot right by the main slipway to the blue-flagged sandy beach.<\/p>\n And M\u00f4r A Sawna on Jackson\u2019s Bay in the Vale of Glamorgan is exceptional. The dreamy sea and harbour views, combined with smoky, wood-fired heat, feel like a reward for your sheer bloody-mindedness in walking into the ocean earlier, like a budget Wym Hof.<\/p>\n Another winter indulgence of mine is hot chocolate with an ocean view. One of my favourites is the delightfully offbeat Pilot House Cafe, which sits right on Penmon Point, Anglesey<\/a>\u2019s wild southeast corner.<\/p>\n Once a base for lighthouse pilots, it now serves cracking coffee with knockout views of Puffin Island and the lighthouse. A few paces from your cuppa, the beach rolls out in stony waves towards the black and white lighthouse.<\/p>\n![\"Perched](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/5_Cliff-hotel-and-spa.jpg\")
There are some great winter deals right now if you’re willing to settle in with a brew and scour the internet.(Image: Portia Jones)<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3_Carmarthenshire_2024-19.jpg\")
I love a beach walk in winter(Image: Portia Jones )<\/p>\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20250320_133035-1.jpg\")
I swim year round, even in winter (Image: Portia Jones)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_IMG_0063.jpg\")
Hikitalo’s Sandy Bay location in Hi-Tide’s Car Park, Porthcawl(Image: Felipe Sabbag)<\/p>\n![\"Dog](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_Winter-weather-Dec-31st-2024.jpg\")
You can bring your dog on the beach in winter(Image: PA)<\/p>\n