Llŷn Peninsula
Porthor and the Whistling Sands
Beach whose sand squeaks underfoot, with coast path north over headlands towards Porth Iago and some of the emptiest coast on the Llŷn.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr 10
- Ascent
- 200 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- There and back
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
From the beach, take the coast path north over the headlands, turning back when it suits. Undulating clifftop walking.
Worth knowing
- The sand squeaks because the grains are unusually uniform and rounded. It works best when dry.
- Porth Iago further north is a tiny cove reached down a farm track and is worth the extra.
- Choughs and seals along this stretch.
What you’ll see
The whistling sand, headlands and coves, seals, and Bardsey to the south-west.
Background
The sand’s acoustic property is shared with only a handful of beaches in Britain and depends on grain shape and cleanliness.