Located along the North Wales coast, Porthmadog is known to be one of the warmest places in the UK. Sheltered by the mountains of Snowdonia and sitting on the edge of the Glaslyn Estuary, the town enjoys a rare microclimate that gives it some of the warmest, sunniest weather in the UK. In June 2023, Porthmadog reportedly hit a high of 31C, and also reached 32.6C in June 2018.
Once a vital shipping port for the region’s booming slate industry, Porthmadog still carries traces of its maritime past. The old harbour, once busy with cargo vessels, is now lined with leisure boats and overlooked by cosy cafés and shops, making it a pleasant place to wander or watch the tide roll in.
Despite its small size with a population just over 4,000 Porthmadog packs in a surprising amount of character with it being home to the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, with the Ffestiniog being the oldest narrow gauge railway in the entire world.
A short drive from the centre, Black Rock Sands in nearby Morfa Bychan is one of the area’s biggest draws.
Stretching for nearly two miles, the beach has fine golden sands and is backed by rolling dunes, recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It’s one of the few beaches in the UK where cars are allowed, so if you want to, you can drive right onto the sand.
The setting is nothing short of spectacular. The beach is popular for rock pooling, watersports, and cave exploring, and on clear days, the view even stretches out to Harlech and Criccieth castles, with the dramatic peaks of Snowdonia framing the landscape.
One TripAdvisor user wrote about Black Rock Sands: “Beautiful beach, with lovely views. You can see 2 castles from the beach, which is spectacular. Certainly a nice place to be on a warm sunny day.”
Someone else said: “Beautiful long stretch of coastline, ideal for family days outs.
“Sand dunes to explore, rock pools, walks along the coastal path and to top it all visit Black Rock Beach Club pub and restaurant is 200yds off the middle entrance off Black Rock Sands beach where you, your family and four legged friends can enjoy refreshments and food in the outside beer garden whilst the kids enjoy climbing the pirate ship on the park area.”
Another Beach Guide review reads: “A beautiful beach, plenty of space and lovely views. Handy that the beach is split into a dog friendly and not dog friendly – we have dogs and always bring them but it’s nice that there’s space for people who don’t want to be around dogs. The sea is lovely, full of life and there’s rock pools to explore.”