Harlech Beach
Harlech Beach is undoubtedly one of the most stunning beaches in Britain.
It is also the holder of a coveted Green Flag Award indicating that it is one of the cleanest beaches in Britain.
The beach provides a great place for a swim, with a safe gentle slope, and if the weather should turn inclement there is even a standby in the form of the municipal
Swimming Pool (just around the corner from our
Harlech Holiday Cottage)
It has the distinction of being where the
largest leatherback turtle in the world ( 914kg in weight and 2.91m long) was washed up, in September 1988. Local information says that it was actually washed up on Shell Island, which is right at the southern end of Harlech beach. The preserved turtle is now on display at the
National Museum of Wales, in Cardiff.
The beach is also an aeroplane crash site, where a
Lockheed P38 Lightning crashed in 1942. Amazingly, the USAAF pilot, Lt Robert Elliott, walked away from the crash uninjured. The plane was uncovered in 2007 and it was hoped to have been raised from the sands in 2011 but we heard no more about this.
Behind the beach and dunes lays Royal St David's Golf Course used for many championship events.
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The picture above of Tremadog Bay was taken from Allt Môr, itself national Trust land, and shows the extent of the beach stretching most of the way to Portmeirion and Porthmadog
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