The South Wales beach has retained its Seaside Award for 2026 as part of this year’s Wales Coast Awards, which recognise beaches that meet high standards of water quality, facilities, safety, and management.
Run by the environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, the awards highlight the best beach destinations across the country.
Owen Derbyshire, Chief Executive of Keep Wales Tidy, said: “A day at the seaside is a centuries-old tradition in Wales and a real highlight, whether you live locally and regularly visit your nearest beach, or are visiting an area. We are delighted to see all of last year’s Seaside Award-winning beaches in the Vale of Glamorgan retaining their title for 2026 by maintaining a good standard of water quality, public facilities, safety provision and management.”
Penarth was one of 15 Welsh beaches to receive the award this year, out of 48 coastal locations recognised in the 2026 Wales Coast Awards.
Known for its sandy and pebbled shoreline beneath a Victorian esplanade, Penarth beach offers a range of visitor facilities including cafés, toilets, and showers across from the RNLI Lifeboat Station.
These amenities form part of ongoing improvements led by Vale of Glamorgan Council.
The beach is also a popular spot for fossil hunting thanks to its Jurassic limestone cliffs.
Penarth joins five other Vale beaches in earning the Seaside Award for 2026: Whitmore Bay and Jackson’s Bay on Barry Island, Cold Knap in Barry, Llantwit Major, and Dunraven Bay in Southerndown.
Often referred to as the “Garden by the Sea,” Penarth has repeatedly been featured on The Times’ list of best places to live by the sea.
The Seaside Award flag, in yellow and blue, signals to visitors that the beach meets a trusted national standard.
Keep Wales Tidy has managed the Wales Coast Awards for more than 20 years.
A full list of the 2026 award winners is available at keepwalestidy.cymru.
Penarth’s continued recognition underlines its reputation as a well-maintained coastal destination offering quality experiences for residents and visitors alike.
