It’s just as easy to get sand between your toes as blisters in your hiking boots in Snowdonia. Those rough, tough mountains sweep down to the sea along a 200-mile coastline, most of which is designated National Park or ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.

All the way along you’ll find big beaches and sandy gems, sheltered coves and wild surf. They come highly recommended. Tywyn, according to the Daily Telegraph, has one of Wales’s finest beaches, a ‘magnificent golden strand stretching five miles’. For something a little more intimate the Guardian recommends ‘the picture-perfect fishing village of Porthdinllaen’ with its sheltered crescent of sand.

Fairbourne stands at the mouth of the Mawddach, another super-scenic estuary. There are miles and miles of dune and sand here, and some novel ways of getting around. Take a trip on the tiny Fairbourne Railway, catch the ferry to Barmouth, or walk across the spectacular railway bridge that spans the estuary.

The sands go on and on, stretching for miles to Bennar and Llandanwg – two peaceful ‘away from it all’ dune-backed beaches – then around the corner to Harlech. For space, scenery and lungfuls of salty sea air take a walk along its vast beach, spread out like a giant carpet beneath the battlements of Harlech Castle, and let the kids loose to play hide-and-seek in the dunes.
Black Rock Sands marks the start of the Llŷn Peninsula. Why Black Rock? There’s a rocky headland with caves and rock pools at the western end of a beautiful two-mile stretch of sands popular with kite-buggies and kitesurfers. It’s convenient for picnics too, since you can drive your car right onto the beach. Then we’re on to Criccieth, the charming little Victorian resort that’s still going strong. Its two sand-and-pebble beaches, split by a castle-crowned headland, are on a sunny, south-facing coast warmed by the waters of the Gulf Stream – apparently some locals take a dip every day.

Heading westwards you can walk along the beach or coast path. Next stop is Abererch. Like other beaches along Llŷn’s south coast, it enjoys breathtaking views across the bay to Harlech and Snowdonia. It’s just a pebble’s throw from here to popular Pwllheli, the ‘capital’ of Llŷn. Just south of the town centre there’s a superb sand-and shingle beach, backed by a long promenade.

Conditions could hardly be different at Porth Neigwl, where surfing is king. Its alternative name, Hell’s Mouth, should tell you why. Nowadays you see brave surfers, not shipwrecks, from this untamed west-facing beach, exposed to the full force of the Atlantic.

Porthdinllaen, like Whistling Sands, is a National Trust beach. It’s a fabulous spot, with a snug headland, lifeboat station, cluster of cottages and famous pub – the Tŷ Coch Inn – overlooking a perfect crescent of sand. Neighbouring Nefyn has more of the same – two miles of curving, broad and gently shelving sands ideal for beach games, sheltered by a headland at its western corner.

From here, the mountains of Yr Eifl plunge into the sea in a curtain of cliffs. The next time you’re likely to take a paddle is at Trefor, a former quarrying village with a quiet beach of sand and shingle, a little quay and pier. In contrast, Dinas Dinlle at the mouth of the Menai Strait is on a grand scale – miles of superb sands, easy parking, attractive promenade and play areas.

On our north coast, the small, mountain-backed seaside resort of Llanfairfechan remains faithful to its Victorian roots. It’s one of the North Wales coast’s quieter beaches, with a pretty promenade, amusements and beautiful sunsets with views across Conwy Bay to Anglesey. Penmaenmawr, a few miles further along, is cast in the same mould – and it’s also popular with sailing enthusiasts.