Criccieth Beach

Criccieth offers the visitor a choice of beaches, whether it's a sandy bay to the East of Criccieth Castle, or a pebbly beach with rock pools to the West of the Castle.

Let's start with the East beach - a family friendly shallow cove which is mainly sand with pebbles at the high water line. This beach drop's off in depth very slowly so it's a relatively safe one for paddling and swimming.

Criccieth Castle overlooks both beaches both to the West and East, however the most famous view of Criccieth Castle is from this side of Criccieth Beach. Tucked to the side of the Esplanade is Crciccieth RNLI Lifeboat Station and breakwater. A perfect time to watch the crew launches are every other Thursday evening and most Sunday Mornings.

Be sure to grab a bag of fish and chips from the Castle Chip Shop or Paddy's and don't miss out on an ice cream from Cadwalader's or Cariad Gelato whilst you watch. This beach is not dog friendly between certain summer dates, however you can walk to the far Easterly steps and also walk your dog on the beach towards Black Rock Sand.

This is a fantastic walk with lots of wide open space on low tide. It's also fun scrunching through the rocky pebbles on high tide too. This is a great walk for the family! On return why not drop into Dylan's Restaurant (right on the seafront close to the Eaterly steps) on the Esplanade. There is a very large Car Park here and there is additional parking all the way along the front (pay and display).

Both beaches form part of the famous Wales Coastal Path which runs 870 miles along the coast of Wales. Look out for the Wales Coastal Path Waymarkers which will guide you along the path leading to and from Criccieth. Occasionally, you could see a red version of this waymarker which shows alternative routes of the official path for example around high tide.

The Wooly Hatter's also swim on this beach. A group of swimmers who regularly meet up and go for a swim (throughout the year conditions dependent). Check out their Facebook page here if you'd like to get involved.

Things to consider on Criccieth beach:

Weever fish

Make sure you wear rubber-soled water shoes in the summer months as one or two Weever fish stings are reported here and there. Theses little fish (who are all the way along the coast of Wales) bury themselves in the sand in shallow water and can give a nasty sting. If you are unlucky enough to get stung, you can bathe the area in hot water (as hot as you can stand) or seek advice through Criccieth's Beach Patrol or NHS Wales.

Dog Friendly Zones

Check with signage about your dog(s) - make sure you are in the right zone.

SUP's / Paddleboarding / Kayaks / other sailing

Try to stay within the marked buoy areas. Boats and Jetski's travel at speed outside these marked areas and can be dangerous. So too can the offshore wind and tide, so always check the conditions and your kit before venturing out.

Swimming

If you are planning on swimming here, make sure you have someone with you or someone watching you. A swimming float with flag is always a good idea. As it's a shallow Bay, you would need to be a little further offshore to be in a depth that's suitable. Therefore having someone 'spot' you whilst swimming is a good idea.

Toilets

There are public toilets by the car park on the East side beach (Esplanade). There are no toilets on the West side / West Parade.