"A Lively Seaside resort- something for everyone!" Top 5 Page for this destination Porthcawl by Myfanwe

Porthcawl Travel Guide: 79 reviews and 267 photos

Porthcawl is situated at the Western tip of the Heritage Coast in South Wales - about 25 miles away from Cardiff. The construction of the town began in the 19th century when the harbour was built to service the expanding coal and iron industries in the Welsh valleys. Nowadays it is a family seaside resort - a firm favourite with generations of holiday makers who bring the family along to enjoy the funfair, donkey rides and fish and chips... this is just a part of Porthcawl, which may or may not be your cup of tea!! Porthcawl has much more to offer.... miles of sandy beach from the quiet sands & rockpools at Newton, to the busier Trecco & Sandy bay then two miles down the road to the surfing beach of Rest Bay & Sker beach at Kenfig Nature reserve.

Walking/Cycling Around Porthcawl

Mermaid statue on the Promenade

Porthcawl is the ideal place for a stroll along the promenade stopping along the way for a coffee/ice cream along one of the many al fresco cafe's along the sea front. The walk westwards along the promenade can be as long or as short as you like - it seems to go on for miles although I haven't walked further than rest bay yet... but there's plenty of time for that. Porthcawl is an excellent place for cycling mainly as there are not many hills!!

Other walks very close to Porthcawl are; Newton & the sand dunes of Merthyr Mawr & the miles of Sand dunes in the Kenfig National Nature Reserve.... Nature, sand & sea a perfect combination.

Shopping, Eating & History

Coney Beach & funfair

The main shopping street leads down to the promenade - John street is a pedestrianised street with a wide variety of shops including banks, chemists & grocery stores. Half way up John Street you will find the Tourist information Centre; this is situated in the old Police Station building. It is well stocked with highly informative leaflets for places of interest in the surrounding area plus you can pick up leaflets giving guided walks around the area. In the Tourist Information building you can also visit the town's small museum, consisting of two rooms it'll not be the largest museum you're ever likely to visit to but it is informative & gives an insight into the History of the town.

You'll never go hungry in Porthcawl, there a numerous restaurants/pubs offering anything from the traditional fish & chips to the ever popular pubs & hotels offering a varied menu to suit all tastes.

Pros and Cons

Pros:The Sand Dunes at Kenfig & Newton
Cons:Funfair area can be very, very busy in School hols!!
In a nutshell:A walkers paradise...

Last visit to Porthcawl: Dec 2007
Intro Updated Sep 24, 2009
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Reviews (30)

Great sea views Hotels (2)

The Atlantic hotel is a really comfortable hotel situated right along side Porthcawl sea front. The town of Porthcawl is... more travel advice

Great location, Great food Restaurants (10)

The Watermill is located near Ogmore-By-Sea, just a 15 minutes drive away from Porthcawl. It is in an idyllic setting,... more travel advice

Award winning food Restaurants (10)

The Laleston Inn is a 15th Century building situated in the pretty little village of Laleston, just 4 miles away from... more travel advice

Great meals on offer Restaurants (10)

The Swan Inn is situated in the picturesque village of Nottage which is just a few miles away from Porthcawl centre. It... more travel advice

Things to Do (11)
See All Visit the Museum
Off The Beaten Path (5)
See All The Dipping Bridge

Comments (7)

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hunterV Jun 29, 2012 at 12:06 AM

Hello, Vicky!~ Thanks for your great pahe about Porthcawl, a very worthy destination I am sure! Cymru am byth!~
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BruceDunning Jun 13, 2010 at 11:47 AM

Seeing the thatched cottage roofs and the great living culture is the reason we plan a trip to the south area in next couple of years. YOu did a wonderful job of taking pictures and making comments.
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ranger49 Jun 1, 2010 at 1:29 AM

Thanks for such an informative and interesting page - it taught me a lot about a place I thought I "Knew". Lovely pictures too. Memories came flooding back.
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Balam May 22, 2010 at 1:14 AM

Can we go on the Fun Fair? can we can we?
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uglyscot Apr 17, 2009 at 6:00 AM

Great pictures of the waves. Portcawl sounds interesting. Must see how easy it is to get there though. We actually went on a bright sunny April afternoon. Great.
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evaanna May 24, 2008 at 8:14 AM

It sounds like a nice place and so wonderfully breezy! Watching the waves crash on the cliff is my favourite pastime too. Beatiful pictures and a good accommodation tip.
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cachaseiro Apr 25, 2007 at 12:44 AM

at first glance i thought the town was called pubcrawl. looks like a very pleasant place for a walkaholic like me.