Porthcawl might not be the Caribbean but it does offer fun and frolics for those on a budget
DREAM of paddleboarding in shimmering blue waters or scampering over giant sand dunes but don’t have the budget for an exotic destination?
Look no further. It turns out you can have just as much fun within two hours of London.
Porthcawl, the “jewel of South Wales”, has the lot. A spectacularly cragged coastline and a swathe of sandy beaches, kissed by sparkling seas – and all just a stone’s throw from the mountains.
OK, so it might not be the Caribbean, but it does offer fun and frolics for those on a budget.
It’s also home to Porthcawl Surf School – voted best in the UK in 2016 – and about to open a £1.5million all-weather watersports centre.
We kicked off activities in Rest Bay. Our morning surf lesson with the brilliant Hugh woke us up quicker than you could say “coffee”.
Within two hours we’d gone from complete beginners to standing up and catching waves.
In groups of no more than ten, you can rent all the gear and get two hours’ tuition for just £30.
Stand-up paddleboarding – also known as trying desperately not to fall in – was next.
Those with better balance can give the SUP fitness a go – and boy, will your abs thank you for it the next day.
We also motored over to Merthyr Mawr, a quaint village where we did a double-take at the “Big Dipper” dunes.
Visitors to this surreal setting – the film location for Lawrence of Arabia – can even plump for a “fat biking” session on the sacred sands.
Afterwards, we paused for breath at the family-friendly Best Western Heronston Hotel & Spa to say sorry to those stressed-out muscles with a stop-off at the sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi.
GO: PORTHCAWL
STAYING THERE: Best Western Heronston Hotel & Spa has family rooms from £90 per night. See bw-heronstonhotel.co.uk. Cae Court has double rooms from £140 per night including breakfast. See caecourt.com.
OUT & ABOUT: Surfing lessons and paddleboarding sessions from £30 with Porthcawl Surf School. See porthcawlsurf.co.uk.
MORE INFO: See bridgendbites.com.
Couples, meanwhile, may want to stay closer to town at Cae Court, a boutique hotel and restaurant overlooking the River Ogmore.
Both are decent bases from which to explore the gems this treasure trove has to offer – from the ruins of nearby Ogmore Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, to Afan Forest Park or Maesteg Golf Club.
Cardiff is a mere 30-minute drive away or you could pop over to Barry, of Gavin And Stacey fame, in half an hour.
Who needs the Maldives when this precious little corner of the UK packs such a punch?
And where else could you leave work on a Friday and be a ready-made surfer by Monday? Rad indeed.
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