Whitesands Beach is one of Pembrokeshire’s premier surf spots and because of its regular waves and strong currents became the home of Porthmawr Surf Lifesaving Club. The bay is known as Porthmawr in Welsh and the beach is Traethmawr.
There has been a surf lifesaving presence at Whitesands beach since 1961. In that summer, members of St.Davids and Solva surf lifesaving clubs begin patrolling Whitesands Beach and nearby Newgale at weekends. Equipment and experience was in short supply but the enthusiasm was there. Founder members of the club were Dr G W Middleton and Elwyn Lewis.
The beach is superb for surfing or just the casual sunbathing session or swim. Visitors should watch out for warning signs as some parts of the beach can be dangerous for swimming. The isolated mountain of Carn Lidi creates a breathtaking backdrop to the beach and from its summit one is granted stunning panoramic views across the peninsula, Ramsey Island, The Bishops and Clerks and the Irish Sea, where on a clear day the Wicklow Mountains can be espied rising in the distance. In fact it is said that St. Patrick sailed to Ireland from Whitesands and the remains of a chapel named after him are buried in the grass to the North. Another myth among comedians of each nation states that the Welsh are the Irish who couldn’t swim – Well! It seems that some of them stayed at Whitesands.
