Photo: Gordon Hatton (CC BY-SA 2.0)Porthselau
The small sandy cove at Whitesands' southern end — campsite above, Ramsey sunsets ahead.
Porthselau is the pocket edition of Whitesands: a small sandy cove ten minutes south along the Coast Path (or down through Pencarnan campsite, whose fields sit right above it), with the same clear water and the same front-row view of Ramsey Island — minus the car park, the kiosk queue and most of the people.
Sand from mid-tide down, rocks and pools either side, and gentle-on-calm-days swimming with the usual unlifeguarded caveats. Its evening trick is famous among the camping families who return every year: the sun sets directly over Ramsey Sound, and the cove faces it square-on. When the council's summer ban empties Whitesands of dogs, this unrestricted cove next door is where they all come.
Where to eat and drink near Porthselau
The nearest pubs, cafés and restaurants, closest first. Walking times are rough estimates on lane and cliff path — check opening hours before you rely on one.
1.0km away · about 15 min walk
1.0km away · about 15 min walk
Pencarnan Coffee
CaféCoffee spot at Pencarnan on the St Davids peninsula, out towards Porthselau and Whitesands.
1.0km away · about 15 min walk
1.7km away · about 25 min walk
Photo: MamGu WelshcakesSt Davids Cathedral Refectory, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, St Davids, SA62 6PE
Welsh cake bakers turned café — MamGu's Kitchen fills the fourteenth-century Cathedral Refectory in St Davids with rarebit, cawl, crempogs and a dozen kinds of Welsh cake.
- Phone
- +44 1437 454369
- Website
- mamguwelshcakes.com
- Opening hours
- Monday - 9:30am till 4:00pm Tuesday - 9:30am till 4:00pm Wednesday - 9:30am till 4:00pm Thursday - 9:30am till 4:00pm Friday - 9:30am till 4:00pm Saturday - 9:30am till 4:00pm Sunday - 9:30am till 4:00pm Opening hours change seasonally
1.7km away · about 25 min walk
Photo: Jaggery (CC BY-SA 2.0)1.9km away · about 30 min walk
Things to do near Porthselau
- Menapia Roman Station — 0.9km
- Clegyr Boia — 1.1km
- Ring and Bailey — 1.3km
- Carn Llidi Chambered Tomb — 1.7km
- St Davids Cathedral & Bishop's Palace — 1.7km
- Treasury of the Cathedral — 1.7km
- Castell Heinif — 1.9km
- Thousand Islands Expeditions — 1.9km
- Voyages of Discovery — 2.0km
- Mountain Warehouse — 2.0km
- TYF Adventure — 2.1km
- Coetan Arthur Dolmen — 2.1km
The next few hours
Nearest forecast point: St Davids
dry for the next few hours, around 14°C, gusting to 27 mph — hold on to the windbreak.
01:00
14°
Clear
W 27 mph
02:00
14°
Clear
W 27 mph
03:00
14°
Clear
W 27 mph
04:00
14°
Clear
W 27 mph
05:00
13°
Fair
W 26 mph
06:00
13°
Clear
NW 25 mph
07:00
13°
Clear
NW 25 mph
08:00
13°
Clear
NW 26 mph
Forecast from MET Norway, used under CC BY 4.0. It's a forecast for the nearest of six points across the county, not for this exact spot — on a coast this shaped, one headland can be in sun and the next in rain.
Light today at Porthselau
- Sunrise
- 07:36
- Sunset
- 18:43
- Daylight
- 11h 7m
The light goes gold from about 17:57, and this beach faces the sunset.
Calculated for these coordinates, accurate to a minute or so. A cliff or a headland to your west will take the sun sooner than this suggests.
Tides near Porthselau
Ramsey Sound · about 1 miles away
Low water
01:15
Sat 10 Oct · 0.7m
High water
07:12
Sat 10 Oct · 5.1m
Low water
13:27
Sat 10 Oct · 0.7m
High water
19:29
Sat 10 Oct · 5.2m
Predicted times from the UK Hydrographic Office. Wind and pressure shift real water levels, and the tide at a specific cove can run earlier or later than its port. Never plan a tidal crossing on this alone.
Bathing water quality
Natural Resources Wales
This is a designated bathing water, sampled by Natural Resources Wales through the May–September season. Official record (Open Government Licence v3.0, © Natural Resources Wales). Classification as published when we last checked, 2026-08-21 — the official record always has the latest.
Parking at Porthselau
OpenStreetMap
3 car parks within a mile of the sand, 1 of them free. The nearest is about 1.0km (0.6 miles) away — roughly a 20-minute walk if you park there and carry everything in.
- 1.0km (0.6 miles)
Unnamed car park, St Davids
Charges apply
- 1.1km (0.7 miles)
St Justinian's
Not recorded
- 1.4km (0.9 miles)
Unnamed car park, St Davids
Free · about 16 spaces
All parking around St Davids →
Distances are straight-line from the beach, so the walk is usually longer — and on this coast it is often downhill on the way there. Charges and space counts come from OpenStreetMap contributors and can go out of date; we don’t print prices, because the map records whether a car park charges, not how much. In July and August the popular ones fill by mid-morning.
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Porthselau: common questions
Can I take a dog to Porthselau?
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans (unlike neighbouring Whitesands, which has a total summer ban).
Where do you park for Porthselau?
The nearest car park we map is Car park, about 1.0km (0.6 miles) away (charges apply). There are 2 more within a mile.
Are there toilets at Porthselau?
We don't have public toilets mapped within a mile of Porthselau. Assume there are none and plan around it.
Answers are generated from what we actually hold in our database and refreshed as it changes. Opening hours, dog rules and prices move — check with the venue before you travel.
Stay near Porthselau
Hand-picked places to stay within a mile or so, nearest first. Our picks are data-driven — we haven’t stayed — and we earn a commission when you book through a partner link. How that works.
St Davids · 3 beds
- 1 mile away
- Best for: Families · walking groups
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
St Davids · Sleeps 10 · 5 beds
- 1 mile away
- Best for: Large families · three generations
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
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St Davids · Sleeps 2 · 1 bed
- 1 mile away
- Best for: Couples · walk-everywhere stays
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk