South Wales

I've found this website which has photos of every beach in south Wales. It's blueseasurf.co.uk, Well worth a look!

Forgot to get back to you all! Trecco bay it was and despite dodgy weather we had a good time.
However our newest newspaper bargain is the best so far. Just coming to the end of a 5 day break at Trevella park site in Crantock near Newquay. Fabulous quiet peaceful clean park near the beach and positioned well for touring south west Cornwall.
I thoroughly recommend this site if you don't want any evening "entertainment" . Caravan spotlessly clean and the site has good sized touring pitches.

thanks for the ideas, the sites I have shortlisted are Trecco Bay, Pendine Sands, KIln Park and Amroth Bay.

Porthcawl beach along by Rest Bay is very nice has huge surf so great for surfing but maybe not for swimming. They have done walkways there in the last few years. There are also some very expensive houses on the front there too. The caravan park has a fun fair near it but also one of the best fish and chip shops! The town has quite a few new eateries along the front now. There is not much industry about S Wales now - the mines are gone and the heaps have been beautified and grassed over. Some of the valleys north of Porthcawl are very pretty.
If the weather is good there are plenty of walks along that part of the coast and the reasonable nearby beaches of Ogmore and Southerndown are totally different - personally I like Ogmore very much and there is a good walk along the top. Bad weather - Cardiff is about 40 Mins and a great city to visit and they have increased the parking areas too. It has a large. J Lewis plus all the ones such as Marks, Next, Wallis etc. plus there are a number of cinemas and a couple of theatres. The Bay Area lovely.

Enjoy wherever you choose!

Porthcawl certainly suffered from some bad development decisions in the 1950s/60s/70s. It's improving now, although it still has some way to go. Another place that has improved beyond all recognition over the last twenty years is Aberavon Beach.

Having spent all my life in South Wales, maybe I don't appreciate these places as much as I should.

I love South Wales. My grandparents lived there in one of the mining areas but it was still wonderful to me as a child brought up in a Midlands street.

My gran lived in Porthcawl and I remember how the local council allowed developers (I think mainly Keith Joseph's family) to bulldoze the dune system (it would be an SSSI now) and create the biggest caravan park in Europe. (then and maybe still?) I note that they now have built a big indoor leisure centre - but that may not be your style.
I'd say don't go there (though i haven't been back for years) and maybe try Porteynon area in Gower if you want a walking or beach holiday. Much more small scale. Nice tea room in Rhossili (the one opposite the car park entrance - stunning views) Short beach or coast path walks can be had at Porteynon, Oxwich, Rhossili, Caswell and Langland as well as Mumbles - all with car parking near beach.
And as Annie says, if you want a trip to the city, Swansea is nearby (great food market), Mumbles (Verdi's ice-cream parlour!) and also the National Botanical Gardens 40 mins away.
Or Tenby is cute and you can tour Pembrokeshire coast area from there.

West Wales, Cardiganshire - New Quay , some nice sites on the edge of the village and the dolphins are thrilling to watch, also Aberaeron lovely area . Pembrokeshire - St Davids, Tenby, Saundersfoot, Dale, beautiful coastline walk. South Wales - - Gower peninsula , beautiful, beaches more difficult to access though. Mumbles, if it rains you are near Swansea. Porthcawl has very large sites and is close to the industrial areas of South Wales. Carmarthen is inland .

Hope you have a lovely time and the sun shines

Tenby is an interesting little town and there are plenty of eating places, as well as two lovely beaches and some interesting shops. There are also lots of other beaches around and about, and lovely walks.

Bad typing there, Carmarthen or Porthcawl