If you’re visiting Caernarfon and the weather’s great (it does happen sometimes!) you might find yourself longing for the beach.
But Caernarfon, while being a coastal town, doesn’t have a proper beach – so where should you go?
Dinas Dinlle is a great choice for a day at the seaside, and here are our top five reasons why.
1. Massive sandy beach
Dinas Dinlle has a vast sandy beach. Split into two halves, the south end of the beach, which is closest to all the shops, restaurants and other facilities, is dog-free during the peak tourist season. After you’ve stepped off the long promenade and navigated the pebbly top part of the shore, it’s all sand with a few rock pools. It’s a great beach for swimming on a hot day, as the water is clear and the bottom is sandy.
The northern half of the beach is dog-friendly all year round. Though there are no facilities at this end of Dinas Dinlle beach – you’ll have to trek back down to the south end if you need the loo or want to buy refreshments – it’s vast and fantastically sandy, and dogs absolutely love running around there. This half of the beach is typically much quieter, so if you like to have a beach all to yourself (albeit with a few dogs running around occasionally), this is the beach for you.
2. Great ice creams
If you like ice cream – and we’re sure most people do – you’ll have plenty of lovely flavours to choose from at the ice cream parlour, which is literally a couple of steps away from the beach. There’s something quite wonderful about strolling along the prom eating an ice cream and watching the world go by.
If you’re not a fan of ice cream, don’t worry – there’s a great little chip shop too, which is popular with locals as well as visitors. There are tables and benches outside, so if you don’t like to walk while you eat that won’t be a problem – just take a seat and enjoy!
3. Iron age hillfort
If you want to walk off your ice cream or chips without going back onto the beach, you can have a good hike up the hillside instead. The hill is actually an ancient hillfort which has stood guard over this part of the coast for thousands of years, and while none of the ancient buildings remain it’s still worth the walk – the views from the top stretch for miles and miles, and you can see the mountains of Eryri (formerly known as Snowdonia) quite clearly in the distance if the weather’s good enough.
4. Caernarfon Airport and Aviation Museum
Past the very northern end of the beach is the former RAF Llandwrog, birthplace of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service. Now an airport and aviation museum, there’s plenty of aviation memorabilia to see, including historic aircraft such as the only T2 BAe Harrier remaining worldwide. It’s an inexpensive day out – visit the museum’s website for current admission prices – and it’s open every day of the week with no need to book in advance.
At the same site is Caernarfon Airport, where you can book pleasure trips in a helicopter or even book flying lessons – who knows, maybe one day you’ll be the one taking people out to see the sights!
5. Facilities for all the family
If you’re visiting Dinas Dinlle beach with children, you’ll be relieved to know there’s plenty to entertain them once they’ve had their fill of ice creams and chips. There are plenty of shops selling buckets and spades, inflatables and beach games, and all sorts of other toys to keep your little ones entertained.
There’s a well-equipped children’s playground with swings, slides and other play equipment to help kids burn off their excess energy.
And great news for all the family – there’s a good, clean, toilet block, so there’s no need to go on a desperate search in cafes and restaurants whenever nature calls!