Porthcawl is a beautiful seaside town located just a few miles south of Red Rock Camping. It has several ‘Blue Flag’ beaches and a long coastal path, so if you’re looking for a campsite within driving distance to Porthcawl, we’re one of the best campsites around.
Porthcawl Town Attractions
Porthcawl is a traditional seaside resort with many key attractions. The Grand Pavilion Theatre is at it’s center-point, located on the seafront amongst several cafe’s with a sea view. Opposite the Pavillion Theatre is Porthcawl’s extensive promenade allows you to walk from Newton Beach across Coney beach, through the town beach and finally finishing at Rest Bay, and if you prefer, you can continue along the boardwalk to Pink Bay and Sker Point. If this is too much, then maybe you’d prefer the route on ‘Lucie’ The Land Train (the kids love this), which can take you from coney fair ground, along the seafront to Rest Bay ….whilst tooting it’s horn along the way! 😉
And, of course, Porthcawl wouldn’t be a great seaside town without great Fish & Chips! There are plenty of restaurants around to get the infamous seaside favourite! in addition, Porthcawl is also the home to Europe’s largest Elvis Festival which is held every September.
Rest Bay
Porthcawl’s Rest Bay is one of the best and cleanest beaches in the area, it has an excellent brand new state-of-the-art Watersports Centre which overlooks the sandy Rest Bay Beach. There is a cafe at the centre, as well as toilets, changing cubicles, surf hire/lessons, cycle storage, a surf shop, and more.
The Royal Porthcawl Golf Club is also situated here, overlooking Rest Bay. Plus you can enjoy a pleasant walk out to Sker Point.
Please note that dogs are only allowed on this beach from 1st October to April 30th. However, dogs are allowed on the neighbouring sandy bays adjacent to the Golf club. If you walk along the boardwalk, you will reach Pink Bay and then Morfa Beach (which is several miles long) this backs on to Kenfig Nature reserve and most people enjoy a circular walk through Kenfig NR, Rest Bay and Sker Point.
Coney Beach & Fairground
Coney Beach is a sandy beach thats located right in front of the Porthcawl Fairground. The beach is nearly a mile long and hosts an array of people all year round. There are lifeguards on duty during the summer months and it’s common for donkey/horse rides, bouncy castles and other entertainment to be available at various times.
The Fairground is obviously a big attraction and has plenty to offer, including rollercoasters, children’s rides, dodgems, arcades games, ice cream and other food, it’s the full package.
Our favourite is the beach, it’s one of the safest and busiest beaches in Porthcawl and is manned by the RNLI in the summer months. Similar to Rest Bay, dogs are only allowed on this beach from 1st October to April 30th.
Newton Beach
Newton Beach is the most easterly beach in Porthcawl – It is a short walk from the village of Newton. Newton Beach is a sandy and rocky beach which is popular with water-sport enthusiasts and behind it is miles of dunes, which is great for spotting wildlife. If you enjoy a long walk, you can walk from Newton to Ogmore/Merthyr Mawr along the beach, but please note, do not try to cross the river unless it is low tide.
One of the great aspects of Newton Beach is that dogs are allowed on this beach all year round, which is ideal when camping in the hot summer months.