Try These 7 Must Visit Conwy Beaches
The Conwy coast has no shortage of must-visit beaches, from the lively seaside resorts of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, to hidden gems like Kinmel Bay with its grassy sand dunes.
Whether you’re after a sandy beach with calm waters for an invigorating swim, windy conditions to bust out the kiteboard or just a quiet place for a spot of birdwatching, this stretch of the North Wales coast will deliver in (buckets and) spades.
After booking your camping accommodation in the Conwy area, check out these 7 must-visit Conwy beaches.
Conwy Morfa beach
Dog-friendly beach on a large sandy bay, plus a golf course
Sheltered by the Great Orme headland to the right and the green slopes of Mynydd y Dref to the left, this popular beach less than two miles from Conwy town is fringed by grassy dunes and a sweep of pebbles.
At low tide, Morfa becomes a vast expanse of sand with calm, shallow waters for paddling. There’s plenty of room for everybody here, including sea glass collectors looking for a colourful nugget amid the shingle, dog walkers (welcome year round) and holidaymakers on a mission to relax with a good book and views of Conwy Bay.
If you’re a keen golfer, don’t forget to pack your irons for a round at the 18-hole course at the back of the beach.
The town of Conwy is well worth a visit for its medieval walls (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and 13th-century castle overlooking the estuary.
Look for campsite accommodation around Conwy.
Around Colwyn Bay
Porth Eirias beach
Sandy beach with watersports and a celebrity chef’s restaurant
One of two beaches on Colwyn Bay, Porth Eirias had a multimillion-pound facelift in the 2010s.
Its new look includes a revitalised promenade, a restored (though shortened) pier and celebrity chef Bryn Williams’s seafront bistro, plus several extra tons of golden sand for good measure. Young sandcastle architects with elaborate plans needn’t worry about a shortage of building materials here.
Add shallow waters for swimming and watersports, ice cream vendors and parking facilities, and it’s no surprise that this popular beach has been awarded a Blue Flag.
Rhos-on-Sea beach
Blue Flag beach with miniature golf and a puppet theatre
From Porth Eirias, walk or cycle along the promenade past the oversized letters of the Colwyn sign (a popular spot for selfies) all the way to Rhos-on-Sea at the northern end of Colwyn Bay.
Another Blue Flag beach, this stretch of sand and shingle is especially popular with families for its clear, sheltered waters, courtesy of an offshore seawall.
There’s plenty more in the area to keep the kids busy, including Rhos Fynach Mini Golf, where the holes have adventurous names like The Pirate’s Skull and The Squid, and a paddling pool with a playground.
If the weather turns, take in a marionette show at the colourful Harlequin Puppet Theatre, which also runs magic shows with assistance from young volunteers in the audience.
Book a campsite near Colwyn Bay.
Around Llandudno
North Shore beach
Traditional resort with a long pier, donkey rides and boat trips
The popular seaside resort of Llandudno has two beaches either side of the Great Orme headland: North Shore and West Shore.
Occupying a long, sheltered bay, Llandudno’s North Shore Beach is mostly pebbles, but it does have a sandy stretch at the town end, where traditional amusements such as Punch and Judy shows, donkey rides and arcades draw families with young kids.
Stroll along the elegant Victorian pier (the longest in Wales, at 2,295 feet), where you can have fish and chips or a freshly made doughnut with far-reaching sea views, or take a sightseeing boat trip to Little Orme.
The rugged cliffs of this promontory are home to dozens of kittiwakes, guillemots and gulls. You might even see the odd grey seal snoozing on the pebbles at Angel Bay.
West Shore Beach
Blue Flag beach popular with kitesurfers
West Shore is less than a mile away from North Shore, a distance easily covered on foot or aboard the colourful Llandudno Land Train.
Don’t expect noisy arcades and crowds clamouring for deckchairs on this side of the Great Orme headland, though. West Shore is considerably quieter than its sibling, a bit of a hidden gem and a Blue Flag beach to boot.
A strip of pebbles near the promenade gives way to a vast expanse of sand at low tide. Let the kids run around trying to get that kite to take to the air, then see how easy the kitesurfers make it look as they show off their acrobatic skills in the bay.
Two golf courses sit behind the grassy dunes at the southern end of the beach, and if you fancy a hike, Great Orme is tantalisingly close. Its nature trails take in heathland and limestone cliffs inhabited by seabirds, butterflies and, unusually, Kashmir goats.
Browse accommodation options around Llandudno.
Kinmel Bay Beach
Sandy beach with watersports and a nature reserve
Just across the river Clwyd from Rhyl, this beach is also known as Sandy Cove – no prizes for guessing why.
Butterflies flit around sea holly and orchids in the Kinmel Dunes Nature Reserve, where you might also spot the odd lizard. A large stretch of the beach is dog-friendly all year round, but if you walk through the dunes, be sure to keep your canine buddy on a lead.
Popular activities here include swimming, paddleboarding and canoeing, and you can charter a boat at the harbour for angling trips. There’s also cycling along the promenade, but be warned: the kids might force a pitstop at Knightly’s Fun Park, with its dodgems and go-karts.
Llanfairfechan Beach
Blue Flag beach with watersports and a nearby nature reserve
A pebbly beach with a large swathe of sand at low tide, Llanfairfechan is backed by an elegant row of pastel-hued Victorian houses.
Relax with a picnic while taking in the views across the Menai Strait to Anglesey, cast a fishing line to catch some whiting for dinner, or join kayakers, windsurfers and paddleboarders in the water.
The promenade forms part of the Wales Coast Path. Head west, away from the flat-topped bulk of Penmaenmawr mountain, to the mudflats of Traeth Lafan, a nature reserve where you might spot oystercatchers and curlews looking for food.
Before walking back to Llanfairfechan, treat yourself to a tour of the Aber Falls whisky distillery, followed by a tasting of its range of liqueurs if you can handle your liquor.
Check out accommodation options around Llanfairfechan.
Need more ideas of how to spend your time in this part of North Wales? Then see our list of the best things to do during your Conwy holiday. If you’re a keen rambler, read our pick of the best walks in the area.