Wedged between Wales’s two largest conurbations: Cardiff and Swansea; and tucked away, well south of the M4 motorway; the Glamorgan Heritage Coast is undoubtedly one of the principality’s best kept secrets. Even the majority of visitors to the region miss out on the highlights, choosing instead to check-in to the holiday factories of Barry Island or Porthcawl – two eminently miss-able resorts marking the east and west extremes of the region. The real gem is the Jurassic coastline – a surprisingly sublime mix of broad sandy beaches and majestic cliffs that feel a million miles from anywhere despite the close proximity of the capital and second city.
The most walkable sections are to the north and west of the southern tip: in particular west from Llantwit Major, where the coast path runs directly behind the sweeping sands of Traeth Mawr – literally Great Beach; and between the quite stunning Dunraven Bay and the more earthy Ogmore, where the cliffs peter out into a kind of coastal limestone pavement. North of Porthcawl the nature of the terrain alters altogether, and the desert-like dunes of Kenfig Burrows provide both nature lover and solitude seeker with an incredible remoteness, despite the unavoidable views of the chimneys of Port Talbot.
Great surf washes onto the these beaches, particularly the western extremes of the region; and there’s some damn fine climbing to be had on the cliffs of Ogmore, although care has to be taken with the tides, which can reach 9m and beyond in places.
