A Family-Friendly Day Out at Benar Beach Boardwalk
The start of the Benar Boardwalk
Are you looking for a fun and family-friendly activity to enjoy during your stay at Dogellau holiday home? Look no further than the Benar Beach Boardwalk, located in Morfa Dyffryn Nature Reserve. This beautiful trail offers stunning views of the coastline and leads to both pebbled and sandy beaches, making it an ideal spot for a day out with the kids and furry friends.
We recently visited here with our small children and as the route is fully accessible for buggies it was well suited to young children as it’s a short walk. The walk was suggested to us my Mum and the Snowdonia National Park website described it as “not popular” which I found amusing. When we went in school holidays it was fairly quiet, we didn’t have the beach to ourselves but it was fairly close to that - so it’s ideal if you enjoy somewhere with less people traffic.
The boardwalk trail is approximately 1.5 miles long. It runs parallel to the beach and provides breathtaking views of the Irish Sea and the surrounding coastline. There are also several benches along the way, providing the perfect spot to sit and have a picnic.
The highlight of the walk is reaching the beach. The boardwalk leads to both pebbled and sandy beaches, providing plenty of options for kids to explore and play. The option of throwing pebbles into the sea and playing in the sand is a winner for our family. The beach is also dog-friendly, making it the perfect spot to take your furry friend for a run on the sand. Part of the Morfa Dyffryn National Nature Reserve is a designated naturist beach – we didn’t see any signs of this! There were several people swimming close to where the boardwalk hits the beach and I’m keen to visit again and try it for a sea swim.
Morfa Dyffryn National Nature Reserve is a unique and offers visitors the chance to explore some of the most spectacular sand dunes in Wales. Dunes like these with bare sand areas are becoming increasingly rare. At Morfa Dyffryn, you can see how the dunes have shifted and changed over time, creating intricate patterns and formations that are a testament to the power of wind and water. Sand dunes also support a greater variety of species than almost any other type of coastal habitat. At Morfa Dyffryn, you'll find a range of rare and endangered species, including orchids, bees, and butterflies.
The Benar Beach Boardwalk in our opinion had a lot to offer - stunning views, accessibility, dog-friendliness, quiet beach and fun for the kids. Whether you're planning a trip to Snowdonia or looking for a fun day out, the Benar Beach Boardwalk is a beautiful and accessible destination that offers something for everyone!
Key information for your visit:
25 minute drive away (Morfa Dyffryn Car Park - https://goo.gl/maps/yHXCVECh8vnMPJVRA).
Carpark free
There are toilets in the car park (owned by Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park and open seasonally). Note they were closed when we went over Easter.
There is a pub a short drive away but we didn’t go (next time!) - other options for food or drink are limited to plan that in.
Average visit time depends on what type of activity you do but if you fancy a walk on the beach we would say schedule 2 hours.
Some fun facts about Benar Boardwalk:
1. Morfa Dyffryn Nature Reserve, where the boardwalk is located, is home to several species of rare birds, including the little tern and the ringed plover.
2. The beach at the end of the boardwalk is a popular spot for kite flying, with many visitors bringing their own kites to fly on windy days.
3. The boardwalk offers stunning views of the Llyn Peninsula and the Irish Sea.
4. The sand dunes along the boardwalk are an important habitat for several species of insects, including the common blue butterfly and the cinnabar moth.
5. The Benar Beach Boardwalk is a popular spot for wildlife watching, with visitors spotting everything from dolphins and porpoises to grey seals and even the occasional basking shark.
View of the mountains
Swimmers at the beach
