Porth Cychod

The walk down to Porth Cychod takes about ten minutes from the car park near Pwllheli, and it's properly steep in places - definitely not one for pushing a buggy, but manageable for most. What you get at the bottom is a quiet, sheltered cove with a dark sand beach that feels miles away from the busier spots along the Llyn Peninsula. The cliffs rise up either side, giving it a contained, almost private feel even when there are a few families about.

It's best suited to families with reasonably mobile kids and anyone after a bit of peace and quiet rather than facilities. There's no café, no lifeguards, no ice cream van - just the beach, the rocks, and the sound of the waves. Low tide reveals rock pools worth poking about in, and the water's calm enough for paddling when conditions are right. Bring what you need because you'll need to carry it back up that hill.

If you're staying at Tyn Ddol Camping and Glamping or Glampio Coed Glamping - both excellent bases within a few miles - this makes a nice half-day trip rather than an all-day event. The novelty wears off after an hour or two unless you're seriously into rockpooling or want to sit with a book and actually relax. Worth the effort if you value a quiet beach over a lively one. The drive from Pwllheli is straightforward, and parking is free and adequate.