Backed by dunes and pine trees, and only accessible with a half-mile walk from the nearest car park, is the picture-perfect Barafundle Bay Beach in Pembrokeshire. The beach has been described as “one of Pembrokeshire’s most beautiful beaches” by VisitWales and has also been described as “the jewel in the crown” of the local coastline.
The beach is managed and owned by the National Trust and is part of the Stackpole Estate.
It’s accessible via the coastal path, a favourite for those who want to enjoy a walk with stunning views along the way.
Tourism board Visit Pembrokeshire said: “Swathes of golden sand and crystal clear waters, Barafundle has been voted many, many times as one of the best beaches in Britain and the world; it’s often likened to a Caribbean beach. This pristine beach is isolated which means no facilities; so everything you take has to come back up over the cliffs.”
Luckily, it seems visitors listen to this advice, as the beach has scooped up the title of the UK’s “cleanest beach” according to an analysis by Litterbins.co.uk. The analysis explained: “Topping the list as the cleanest beach in the UK is Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
“This beach boasts an impressive 86 percent excellent reviews on TripAdvisor and a cleanliness score of 78/100. It also shares the highest Google star rating of 4.9/5, with average bacteria levels remaining low at just 10 cfu/100ml.”
Previous visitors have also commented on its cleanest, with a visitor named Mohammed leaving a Tripadvisor review stating: “Such a beautiful place and well worth the walk to get there, once there it’s like you’re in the Med just amazing the beach is clean and never seems to get busy, parking at busy times of the year can be busy but it’s well worth going just go early.”
From the closest car park, you can expect to walk for about 15 minutes before being greeted by the incredible coastal vistas. You need to pay for parking and it’s worth noting that spaces can be limited during the peak season. It’s best to get there early.
A stretch of golden sand makes up most of the beach and when the sun is shining the water twinkles in various shades of blue.
Barafundle Bay is quite well protected from the oncoming ocean swells so the water can be calm enough to swim, though as is always the case with sea swimming, you should check any weather warnings before heading to the beach for a swim. It’s also important to keep in mind that there are no lifeguards stationed at Barafundle Bay.