Traeth Bach Beach

• Traeth Bach (Little Beach) also known as Secret Beach
• 1.5 miles to Penbryn Car Park then a 1 mile walk with fairly steep climbs and descents
• On the Wales Coast Path route the beach is in between Penbryn and Llangrannog
• Accessible only by a steep climb or by sea
• Sheltered cove
• Soft golden sand
• Dogs allowed
• No lifeguards
• No immediate facilities – Penbryn 1 mile south or Llangrannog 3/4 mile north

Traeth Bach, which means Little Beach in Welsh, is a spectacular and hard to access beach cove found roughly half way between Penbryn and Llangrannog, on one of the most beautiful, but strenuous sections of the Wales Coast Path. Although it can be hard work getting there, boy oh boy it is worth the effort.

There is no easy way to get to Traeth Bach but you do have a couple of options for getting there:

Walking to Traeth Bach from Penbryn

Park in Penbryn National Trust car park and head north on the steady climb up the coast path. After the initial climb, which takes you to the cliff top, the path is fairly flat for a while and opens out into a field which may contain cattle, towards the end of the field you start making your way diagonally down the slope into the bottom corner where there is a style. Over the style is where Traeth Bach comes into full view and you’ll want your camera ready as you walk the path around the back of the cove. To access the beach, continue onwards until you come to the bottom of the steep section of steps, from here you need to head down the valley towards the sea, and clamber down the final cliff onto the beach.

Walking to Traeth Bach from Llangrannog

Parking in Llangrannog can be tricky during peak seasons, but if you can’t park in the beach car park, there is also a park and ride system which operates from the car park field situated on the road to Brynhoffnant. Once at the beach front, head south up towards the hairpin bend and the statue of St Caranog, here you will find the coast path to Penbryn. Similar to the route from Penbryn, after the initial climb it levels off before the steps down the valley to the path leading towards the sea and the final clamber down the cliff onto Traeth Bach beach.

Getting to Traeth Bach by Sea

Penbryn doesn’t offer any sort of boat lunching facilities, so Llangrannog, Tresaith or Aberporth are much better options if you want to visit Traeth Bach by boat. These three beaches all have slipways onto the beach, but all will require a tractor or a proper 4×4 to launch. However, if you plan on using a kayak, paddleboard or canoe, all beaches are ideal depending on how far you want to paddle. If coming from Penbryn, drive right down to the beach front turning circle, unload your equipment and then park back up at the car park, it will save you carrying everything down and back up after.

However you get there, make sure you visit the outward facing cave in the rock, you can even fit a small boat inside.

Something to Consider

Traeth Bach is quite a popular nudist beach, if you feel this would make you uncomfortable, maybe avoid going on to the beach and just enjoy the cove from the coast path.

Family Connection

Traeth Bach is extra special to us and has a strong connection to our family, as it was our local beach and where generations have regularly enjoyed spending time. The cove and coast path sit at the foot of the sloping fields of Morfa, where family has lived since 1957. So, it was only ever a short stroll through the field from our homes.