Subscription Notification
Please update your billing information
Your subscription will end shortly

50 best secret beaches in the UK

From hidden coves in Cornwall to wild shores in Scotland, we reveal where to go to escape the crowds — and where to book a room near by

Skrinkle Haven, Pembrokeshire (2)
Skrinkle Haven, Pembrokeshire (2)ALAMY
The Times, 


1. Penbryn Ceredigion
A tropical beach scene in the James Bond movie Die Another Day was filmed on this family-friendly stretch of unspoilt sand in Cardigan Bay, three miles east of Aberporth. The most scenic route from the car park (where there’s a café serving cream teas) is via a woodland path down Robber’s Valley, a nod to the area’s smuggling history.
Where to stay
A ten-minute walk away is Manorafon, with log cabins, camping and geodesic domes with king-size beds and woodburners. Three nights’ self-catering in a dome costs from £320 for four people (

2. Skrinkle Haven, Pembrokeshire
Descend a long flight of steps to reach this sand and shingle beach dominated by a 50ft sea cave. The beach was off-limits until the…