Penbryn

Penbryn is a secluded sandy cove on the Ceredigion coast near Cardigan, almost a mile long at low tide and reached down leafy lanes lined with flower-covered banks. The National Trust car park sits above the beach beside the Plwmp Tart cafe, which is not run by the Trust, and from there you can either walk a quarter of a mile down the tarmac lane or take the half-mile footpath through the fern-clad woods of the valley, with several steep steps and a stream and waterfall for company before the sand opens out. Reviewers praise the clean beach and clear water, the walk down through the woods and the cafe's food and coffee, though several found it shut, so check its opening locally before relying on lunch there. Dogs are welcome on the beach only in the off-peak season from the start of October, on a short lead, with assistance dogs admitted all year. Tips from visitors: use the Trust car park rather than the handful of turning-space spots at the beach, and go down by the woodland path and back up by the road, remembering the climb back is steep.