In its heyday during the 1970s, the small sheltered beach of Porth Iago was truly bustling. Offering visitors a little slice of paradise and far removed from those embarking on package holidays, its more than 30-acre campsite would be full of holidaymakers looking to soak up the sun.
The beach, located on the north-west side of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, was popular for many years. But a death in the Ty Mawr farming family who owned the land surrounding the campsite saw camping essentially end with the beautiful cove growing far quieter.
However, as North Wales Live reports, the beach has experienced a sudden surge of popularity since the coronavirus pandemic, with the site "rediscovered" and finding a new lease of life in the last few years. Get the latest news from across Wales sent straight to your inbox for free by signing up to our newsletter.
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Enchanted by its natural beauty, wildlife, turquoise waters and sunset views, visitors have started to flock to the beach, named by the Sunday Times as the prettiest along the Llŷn Peninsula, in their droves. But while that has seen the now-eight acre campsite get back up and running, the beach's popularity has started to cause problems, with coachloads of sunseekers having to be turned away from the site.
The entire 2023 camping season was booked up even before the last one ended, with many holidaymakers regulars who, once on the roster, return year after year. The oldest is a 94-year-od great-grandmother who visited with her parents, probably not long after the farm fields were first opened up to campers in 1934. Today, she stays for eight weeks each summer, bringing three generations of the family with her.
“Others have been returning here for 50 or 60 years,” said Porth Iago site manager Chris, who asked for his surname to be withheld. "Some retired people come for a few days almost every week.”
They come for good reason. Lonely Planet has named Porth Iago as the best wild camping beach in Wales, while the Sunday Times called it the Llŷn Peninsula’s “prettiest beach”. Last autumn, the campsite won the North Wales category of Channel 4's The Perfect Pitch series.
Reviewers are equally enthusiastic, with one holidaymaker describing it as their "little utopia”, adding, “With no hint of hyperbole, this little sandy cove with crystal clear water is one of the best beaches In the world in my opinion.". Another said: “I had the experience of the best sunset ever from this location. This camping trip will be in my top 10 favourites ever.”
However, Chris has opened up on the challenges the area is now facing as its fanbase grows on social media. “People have begun coming in coaches but we’re not a big site and there’s no way we can allow that,” he said.
“Last summer a coach party from Birmingham called to ask if they could come and we said that, unfortunately, they couldn’t. They came anyway, so we had to turn them back. They drove all the way back to Birmingham.”
Other requests have also been rejected by the owners. While a number of engagments and wedding blessings have been made at Porth Iago, last year, a couple were turned down in their request to book the entire site for a wedding, as it would have meant closing public access to the beach.
For those who do it make to the beach, day visitors can pay a £5 parking charge to explore the headlands or clamber down to the sandy beach for a dip. Passing walkers on the Wales Coast Path need only pay £1. While there are no facilities on the beach, the campsite has a toilet and shower block while a burger van offers a lifeline for guests in the form of bacon baps, sausage rolls and ice-cream, as well as freshly-made pizza.
However, despite the clear demand in the area, and the potential to increase revenue, Chris has no plans to expand the campsite. “There are no shops in heaven,” he said. “You can’t take your money with you.”
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