Barafundle - 'The most beautiful beach in Britain'

Simply the best
It is the best in Britain - but you will have to take a walk to view it!

Stunning Barafundle - a jewel among the many superb beaches in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park - was awarded the accolade last summer of 'the most beautiful beach in Britain'.
The Good Holiday Guide chose Barafundle ahead of the best beaches that Britain can boast - including Wollacombe in Devon, Studland in Dorset and Holkham in Norfolk.
The verdict was that Barafundle's superlative sands, sea quality, beautiful location and natural environment made it perfect for the 'best beach' title.
It was also selected as the best family beach because the sand is perfect for building sandcastles, the shoreline is shallow and safe for bathing and the surrounding area - part of the National Park - offers breathtaking scenery and walking opportunities.
Travel journalist Nic Havers, who helped write the article, said: “Barafundle is perfect. The judges were particularly impressed with the route to Barafundle from Bosherston - traversing the lily ponds on bridges and over some spectacular scenery.”

In grand company.
Eleven international beaches were chosen alongside Barafundle in the 'beach beauty' contest.
The others are:
Ras Nungwi in Zanzibar; Nha Trang in Vietnam; White Beach, British Virgin Islands; Turtle Beach on Pulau Perhentian Kecil in Malaysia; Cies Island in Galicia, Northern Spain; Porquerolles, Iles d'Or, France; Turku Archipelago, Finland; Gramvoussa Beach, near Chania, Crete; Cap Bon, Kelibia, Tunisia; Lakshadweep Islands, India, and Muscat, Oman.

The clifftop walk
Barafundle is located in the National Trust Stackpole Estate.
It is just a clifftop walk away from Stackpole Quay, the pretty inlet which once was the private quay for the Cawdor Family whose homes included Stackpole Court - since demolished.
Steps lead from the car park at Stackpole Quay up on to the clifftop, with fine views over the coastal landscape. A half mile walk takes one to the northern side of Barafundle where a stepped walkway leads down to the beach. This was once the private beach of the Cawdors.

Said South Senior Ranger Libby Taylor: “It is hard to put into words just how splendid Barafundle is. You will just have to walk there to see for yourself!”
Also not to be missed are the famous Bosherston Lakes - another part of the Stackpole Estate. Covering some 80 acres, they are the largest expanse of open water in the National Park. A National Nature Reserve, the lakes are one of the best places in Wales to see otters.
There is a network of easy access paths along the banks accessed from the Stackpole Centre. The lakes are most easily reached from the National Trust car park in Bosherston village as well as from the Coast Path and Stackpole Quay.

County takes a third of Welsh Seaside Awards.

Nearly a third of Wales' best beaches are in Pembrokeshire.

Thirty of the county's beaches are among a record 109 to win Seaside Awards, co-ordinated by Keep Wales Tidy.
When the award was introduced in 1992, only 14 Welsh beaches met the criteria for bathing water quality and infrastructure.
"Local authorities and Welsh Water need to be congratulated for the investment they have made in improving both the quality of our coastal waters and the shore-based infrastructure required to achieve the coveted Seaside Award status," said Keep Wales Tidy chief executive Tegryn Jones.
To gain the award, the beaches have to attain at least the EU minimum standard of bathing water quality, with many achieving the much stricter Guideline water standard. `Rural' awards were made on 13 land-based criteria and `resort' awards had to satisfy 26 criteria, including dog ban areas, arrangements for the disabled and a range of facilities aimed at enhancing visitor enjoyment.

The award-winning Pembrokeshire beaches are:

Resort - Amroth, Saundersfoot, Tenby North, Tenby Castle, Tenby South, Lydstep, Dale, Newgale, Whitesands, Poppit Sands, Broad Haven North.

Rural - Newport Sands, St Brides Haven, Sandy Haven, Pwllgwaelod, Penally, Nolton Haven, Martin's Haven, Marloes, Manorbier, Little Haven, Goodwick Sands, Gelliswick, Freshwater East, Dinas Cross, Cwm-yr-Eglwys, Coppet Hall, Caerfai, Broadhaven South, Barafundle Bay, West Angle Bay, Abereiddy and Wisemans Bridge.

Fourteen Pembrokeshire beaches have received the coveted Green Coast Award.

Beaches shine again .

A total of 50 in Wales and ten in Southern Ireland have been recognised for their natural beauty, unspoilt clean environment and having reached the highest bathing water quality.

The award was introduced in 1999 by Keep Wales Tidy.

Chief executive Tegryn Jones said: "Those wishing to enjoy a beach experience far removed from the intrusions normally associated with the traditional and more urban beaches need look no further than the current crop of Green Coast Awards."

Representatives from the winning beaches will gather at Aberaeron Beach on Friday when AM Elin Jones will present plaques.

The Pembrokeshire beaches are Cwm yr Eglwys, Abereiddy, Caerfai, Nolton Haven, St Bride's Haven, Martin's Haven, Marloes, West Dale, West Angle, Broadhaven South, Barafundle Bay, Manorbier, Penally and Coppet Hall. The nine Ceredigion beaches