Aberavon Beach – Family Fun at the Seaside

Aberavon beach, Port Talbot, was at one time one of Wales’ most popular tourist spots. In its heyday it had thousands of visitors, but until recent years it had become a bit of an unloved forgotten gem.

With its relatively recent facelift, thanks to a significant regeneration programme, it is now firmly back on the map.

With its three miles of sandy beach,  flat promenade lined with cafes, play areas, crazy golf and outdoor splash area it is an ideal choice for families looking for a fun day out whether in the summer or winter months.

Whilst not as traditionally quaint and restaurant laden as Swansea Bay, Aberavon Beach provides a great alternative to the busier Mumbles and is the ideal place to visit with little ones.  Ours kids love the promenade for its quieter cycling and for the Pirate adventure golf.

Here are our favourite things to do in Aberavon:

The Beach:

The beach itself is a wide sandy beach with views out to Swansea Bay and the Mumbles. It is a nice wide beach where you won’t be battling with the crowds for space.

With a decent wind it is also a great spot for kite flying.  It is a safe beach for swimming and is manned by life guards in the summer months.

Good to know – Whilst the main beach area has a dog ban from May until 1st September, there is an area to the west at the beach nearest to the mouth of the river Neath which is dog friendly even in the height of summer.

The Promenade:

Aberavon Beach has a two mile promenade with a designated bike path offering families a short and leisurely ride that they can intersperse with some good old traditional seaside fun.

You can bike from one end to the other, going past the old works and Neath river before eventually turning back on yourself.

Sections of the route become busier in the summer months (but a good bell will see you through) and it is an easy stretch for little ones to master on their bikes, being pretty much flat.  Its a short enough route making it easy for younger ones, but they will still feel like they have had a good ride.

Of course if you don’t want to take the bikes,  a leisurely stroll along the promenade is also lovely.

Adventure Golf:

Who doesn’t love Crazy Golf, or Adventure Golf?  In Aberavon there is a brilliant Pirate Golf course with 12 holes of fun of varying par holes to try.

Our favourite was the shark infested seas of the twelfth hole!  Costing around £12 for a family for the round, its just a £1.00 each for another round.

Play Areas:

There are two main play areas on the promenade.  A small toddler park, just for little ones and an adventure playground for those aged three and over, with swings, slides and a zip wire.

There are also plenty of green areas with the sunken gardens providing a tranquil spot and an opportunity for a picnic.  At the far end is a huge whale sculpture which our kids love to visit.

The aqua splash lido area, which is a large shallow outdoor paddling pool, is very popular on sunny days.

Eating out:

There are a few restaurants and cafes lining the promenade which cater for the traditional seaside fare.  Just back from the promenade there is is also a Burger King and an Indian Restaurant.  When we visited we ate at the further quieter end at Bar Gallois.

We found the food and service to be good.  There was also an outside seating area which was dog friendly.  Childrens meals were good value, with a starter and main priced around £6.00.

Not to be missed is an ice-cream from the kiosk Gelato Gatti.  We tried the cookie and the bubble gum ice-creams, with red wafer cones, which were a real hit.

Additional Information:

By Car: The beach is just five minutes from the M4, exit junction 40 from the east and junction 41 from the west and follow brown signs to Aberavon Beach.

Parking is available along the seafront promenade or within a selection of nearby car parks.

See our post on visiting the Gower for our favourite beaches in Swansea.

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