Photo: Nick Macneill (CC BY-SA 2.0)Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)
St Davids' big Blue Flag surf beach beneath Carn Llidi — sand, swell and sunsets at the end of Wales.
Whitesands is the north coast's flagship: a broad sweep of pale sand under the rocky peak of Carn Llidi, with reliable beginner-to-intermediate surf, lifeguards through the season, and sunsets over Ramsey Island that empty the car park slowly. Surf schools and board hire operate in season; swimmers should stay between the flags as rips work the beach on bigger days.
Walkers have riches: the Coast Path north rounds St Davids Head past the Coetan Arthur burial chamber (a superb short circuit via Carn Llidi's shoulder), and south towards Porthselau and St Justinians' lifeboat stations. The car park fills by mid-morning in summer — the seasonal Celtic Coaster shuttle from St Davids solves it. Porthmelgan, ten minutes' walk north, offers a quieter cove when Whitesands is busy (no facilities, stronger currents).
Where to eat and drink near Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)
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.
100m away · about 5 min walk
1.6km away · about 25 min walk
Pencarnan Coffee
CaféCoffee spot at Pencarnan on the St Davids peninsula, out towards Porthselau and Whitesands.
1.6km away · about 25 min walk
2.5km away · about 35 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
2.5km away
Photo: Jaggery (CC BY-SA 2.0)2.6km away
Things to do near Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)
- Menapia Roman Station — 0.2km
- Carn Llidi Chambered Tomb — 0.7km
- Coetan Arthur Dolmen — 1.2km
- Clegyr Boia — 2.1km
- Ring and Bailey — 2.3km
- Treasury of the Cathedral — 2.5km
- St Davids Cathedral & Bishop's Palace — 2.5km
- Thousand Islands Expeditions — 2.7km
- Castell Heinif — 2.7km
- Voyages of Discovery — 2.8km
- Mountain Warehouse — 2.8km
- TYF Adventure — 2.8km
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 Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)
- 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 Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)
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.
Before you go
The practical answers, from the people responsible for them, checked 2026-08-23.
The currents here are dangerous
The Authority is explicit about the currents here: they are powerful if you swim too far out. Stay between the flags.
Source: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Whitesands to Solva
Lifeguards
Easter holidays, 28 March to 12 April; weekends and bank holidays, 2–17 May; daily from 23 May to 6 September; weekends again 12 September to 18 October; then October half term, 24 October to 1 November.
Patrols run 10am–6pm. No flags means no lifeguards.
Source: RNLI, 2026 patrol dates
Getting onto the sand
Concrete ramp, 1:5 easing to 1:4½ over 17 metres — short but steep.
A beach wheelchair is available here. Beach wheelchairs and all-terrain equipment are free to borrow from the National Park Authority, but must be booked ahead — online, or on 01646 624800.
Source: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Easy Access Beaches
Parking at Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)
OpenStreetMap
One car park within a mile of the sand. The nearest is about 100m away — roughly a 5-minute walk if you park there and carry everything in.
- 100m
Unnamed car park, St Davids
Charges apply
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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Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr): common questions
Can I take a dog to Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)?
Dogs banned from the whole length of the beach 1 May – 30 September; welcome the rest of the year. One of only two total bans in the county (Pembrokeshire County Council).
Where do you park for Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)?
The nearest car park we map is Car park, about 100m away (charges apply).
Are there toilets at Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)?
Yes — public toilets are mapped about 150m from the beach. Seasonal opening is normal on the Pembrokeshire coast, so treat winter as uncertain.
Is Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr) lifeguarded?
Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr) has RNLI lifeguard cover in the main season — typically late spring to early September, with reduced cover at the shoulders. Check the RNLI's own beach listing for this year's exact dates before you rely on 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 Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr)
Hand-picked places to stay within about 2 miles, 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 · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
- 2 miles away
- Best for: Couples and small families · walking into St Davids
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
St Davids · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
- 2 miles away
- Best for: Couples · walkers
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
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St Davids · Sleeps 2 · 1 bed
- 2 miles away
- Best for: Couples · walk-everywhere stays
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk