Heading west you can reach the coast at Fairbourne or Barmouth in under an hour, unless there is a lot of traffic.

Fairbourne is the quieter of the two, with a long flat clean sandy beach, backed by shingle. There are a few shops and a miniature steam railway which runs at the back of the beach, at the end of which is a café from where you can catch a small ferry boat to Barmouth.

Barmouth is a more lively resort, with many cafes, a small harbour and children’s entertainments. From here a long sandy beach begins, which runs north as far as Talybont, Duffryn and Harlech