Sand Bay Beach

OUR VISIT

We really enjoy a visit to Sand Bay beach. It’s a large, relatively wild sandy beach with mud flats about an hour from Bath, just north of Weston-Super-Mare. It is a beautiful stretch of coastline with spectacular views across the Bristol Channel and the coast of South Wales on a clear day. Our children are at the age when sand, pebbles and water is just heaven. They enjoy it so much we struggle to get a photo of their faces and I’m often told by my daughter that she’s too busy when I offer snacks, very unusual. Ice cream is less of a problem.

The first time we visited we managed to get a lovely sunny day with low wind, other times the onshore breeze was freezing even on a sunny day. Check the weather forecast before you go! The tide doesn’t make a huge difference to our visits as there was always plenty of space. When the tide was out it left small gullies of water and rock pools to play in. When the tide was in we got to paddle and saw quite a few people go in for a swim.

The car park had toilets and a tiny café for an ice cream and the beach was just across the road over some sand dunes.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

PARKING: Sand Bay Bus Terminus Car Park – pay and display with MiPermit app only, £2 for the day. Fills up quickly. There are other car parks dotted along the beach, one further south is free. The National Trust car park at the end is better located for walkers, rather than a beach trip.

TIDES: Check the high and low tide times before you go. There’s warnings of sinking mud which appears at low tide. In high tide there was still plenty of space.

CAFÉ: A small hut at the car park sells hot and cold drinks, ice creams, snacks and some beach toys. There were other similar shops along the beach but it’s generally houses and holiday parks.

TOILETS: There’s a toilet at the car park (mens, ladies and accessible), charges 20p and was well maintained by the council.

BUGGY: There’s a long pathway along the beach suitable for buggies. We left the buggy in the car but did see a few on the beach but figured they must have been carried, no access that we could see.  

SUPERMARKET: Driving from Bath on the M5 there’s a Waitrose at the services and a large Morrisons when you come off the motorway if you’re in need of supplies.

DOGS: Perfect beach for dogs. Water tap by the toilets in the car park.

NEARBY

• Sand Point circular coastal walk, a 3 mile National Trust Walk at the north end of the bay. 

• Weston Woods and the Adventure Play Area is at the southern end of the bay with a car park. We have’t been yet but here’s a great write up by Walkswithkidsnorthsomerset