A group of tourists were left gutted after making a 150-mile trip to a beach considered to be one of the UK's best only to be turned away upon arrival. The sun-seekers had travelled to Wales to see the small sheltered beach of Porth lago.
Situated at the western tip of the north of the country, the secluded spot has been popular since the 1970s, with visitors rediscovering their love for the area in recent years. The amazing landscapes, views of sea life, including dolphins, and an Instagrammable sunset has people raving about Porth lago once again.
A coach full of excited tourists, however, did not get to cast their eyes on the glory of the golden sands, reports North Wales Live. A trip was planned by a group from Birmingham who made the long journey from the West Midlands to the Welsh coast.
But they were met with resistance when beach bosses turned them away after the long drive. Site manager Chris said the popular spot is too small to have busloads of tourists coming - and admitted they had to block some visitors from entering.
He told North Wales Live: “People have begun coming in coaches but we’re not a big site and there’s no way we can allow that. 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.”
He claims the travelling party were warned before arrival they could not visit due to the high number of people in their group and it being a small site. They made the journey regardless and Chris says other requests have been rejected in the past.
One couple were said to have wanted to book the entire site for a wedding last year. Two couples did get engaged there in 2022, and several wedding blessings were held on the beach. It has also said to have been a great spot to view the Northern Lights.
Lonely Planet named Porth Iago as the best wild camping beach in Wales, while the Sunday Times called it the Llŷn Peninsula’s “prettiest beach”. Last year the site won the North Wales category of Channel 4's The Perfect Pitch series.
There is space on site for caravans, campervans and tents. Day visitors can also pay a £5 parking charge to explore and head down to the sandy beach for a dip. Passing walkers on the Wales Coast Path can pay just £1.
And reviewers were just as kind to the beach with one writing: “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.”
One couple who visited the site last summer wrote: “In this bay alone we saw sand eel, wrasse, crabs, baby jellyfish fish and small whiting. The next day we were spoilt by a display of dolphins.”
Chris also revealed he has never had to pick up litter as the site clearly requests visitors to take their rubbish away. He says, despite the soaring popularity, there are no plans to expand the site.
He added: "In all my years here, I’ve never had to pick up a single piece of litter...There are no shops in heaven. You can’t take your money with you.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
