Merthyr Mawr Nature Reserve image

Merthyr Mawr Nature Reserve

Hiking area β€’ Nature preserve

One of the Best Places To Visits in Merthyr Mawr


Address

Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend CF32 0ND, United Kingdom

Contact

+44 1656 662413

Rating on Google Maps

4.80 (684 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours
  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours
  • Monday: Open 24 hours
  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: beach (21) dunes (18) park (18) walk (15) sand (11) people (7) lovely (7) reserve (6) area (6) hours (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Matt I. 2 years ago on Google
    Awesome beach once you get through the sand dunes, it took us the best part of an hour to get through the dunes from the car park, but we had a real slow 4 Yr old with us, I reckhghon its probably 30 minutes at a decent pace. Beach is huge when tide is out. Car Park was Β£5 for the day and can pay on card at the machines.
    5 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 4/5 Laura J. 2 years ago on Google
    Lovely nature reserve. Great place for kids to run around and for dog walking. You do have to pay for parking but that's understandable. It's 1.50 for 1 hour. 2.50 for up to 2 and then 5 for the full day which is fairly decent
    4 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Paul F. 2 years ago on Google
    This is a great place to bring the kids and enjoy natural beauty. It is shame people do not pick up their litter and remove waste from bonfires. It takes some time to walk to the beach and back so you need to remember to pay enough for parking. Has a public toilet.
    4 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Janey C. 7 months ago on Google β€’ 172 reviews
    Beautiful place for a walk and to spot nature (saw some unusual flora...) but we found the signage confusing from the car park. In the car park, we could only see the coast path and 2 bridle paths signposted, so we followed the red one to the beach. By chance, on the way back, we came across the path we should have taken. You find it in the car park by, with the entrance behind you, taking the central path by the bins (see photo) you will then see signposts to beach and back through the dunes, which takes about an hr at a slow place. We couldn't find any maps of the reserve, which would have been useful. Parking Β£2 for 2 hrs, Β£5 all day.
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Shasta M. 2 years ago on Google β€’ 76 reviews
    Absolutely beautiful sand dunes! Great place to explore lots of different environments in one place. Big beach area. Car park is dirt under trees, but spacious with toilets.
    2 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 4/5 Linda B. 7 months ago on Google β€’ 193 reviews
    We parked at the small car park in Merthyr Mawr by the footbridge and walked to Candleston and through the dunes to the beach. Not too many people around and the reserve is lovely to walk through. The beach is quieter than Ogmore and you can watch horses cantering along. Will visit again and would recommend.

  • 4/5 Nikhil R. 1 year ago on Google β€’ 186 reviews
    It was a nice experience to explore merthyr mawr nature reserve ,its nice place to have dog walk, horse riding and day out with family. Need to pay at the car park ,or you can pay by phone or Ring go app. Whole day parking fornΒ£5 Site not allow camping or tenting. Toilet facility near to the car park. Horse riding needs permit or membership and needs to display it while you riding.

  • 5/5 Rosario R. 1 year ago on Google β€’ 41 reviews
    The walk to the beach is beautiful, especially at sunset on a clear day. The colours of the sky reflect on the sand and the view is just astounding. Walking from the car park to the beach takes 30 mins but is an easy walk. We enjoyed it so much that I became dark on return to the car park. We spotted big groups of deers grazing in the dunes. The car park is 5 pounds for the whole day.
    2 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Paul B. 3 years ago on Google
    One of the most beatiful places in Wales. The dunes are so peaceful with just the sound of birds and the sea in the distance. Once you get to the beach you can walk a fair distance without seeing many people, it very rarely gets busy. Good footwear is really handy if you to climb some of the bigger dunes
    2 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Jack B. 5 months ago on Google
    Had a wonderful time on the sand dunes a few years ago. Took my girlfriend there and we had a great afternoon. The view is amazing, very secluded and I think we will definitely do it again. Totally recommend to others, the fun is worth it!
    2 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Dom 2 years ago on Google
    Whether you arrive from Newton Burrows, Wig Fach or Methyr Mawr, this coastal area has a wild beauty and captivating nature. More verdant than you would expect, it undulates with eroded deep sandy slopes and clumps of grass, thickets and stands of stuby trees. Normally quiet it does not get the volume of people as other sites like Kenfig, however it feels like an area of peace overlooked by the busy Ogmore coast. The river inbetween ensures a natural transition from here to there, especially at the mouth of the river, by the Merthyr Mawr beach.
    2 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Anna P. 2 years ago on Google
    An accessible wilderness, never crowded, something different in every season. Incredible array of plants in the summer.
    2 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Brian M. 1 year ago on Google
    A lovely place to wander and lose yourself for a few hours. Now becoming popular as a filming location, scenes for Plebs are currently being shot there.
    2 people found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Naomi W. 6 months ago on Google β€’ 40 reviews
    This was a stunning day out, a long walk from the car park and we were knackered after playing on the dunes but I would highly recommend it, we didn't end up walking to the sea as we took our sledges and played for hours on the sand instead, from the car park take the middle route and go straight towards the beach and you should see the dunes, the first exit that heads into the woods does have one large sand dune but we didn't get much speed on our sledge! Be prepared to have a lot of fun and get very sandy!
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Nathan T. 1 year ago on Google
    A lovely area, the sand dunes are wonderful. Plenty of wildlife present on our visit, we observed several common lizards as well as a deer. Worth a visit 100%! Parking was ample, however I imagine during peak season you may need to leave early to secure a spot. The only downside was the beach(various points you can access it but the main access) had a lot of litter, not the fault of the area but people who frequent it πŸ˜”
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Michael H. 9 months ago on Google
    Great dog friendly and stimulating walks. Carpark now supports contactless payment.
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Mark J. 1 year ago on Google
    If you love sand dunes and a huge beach, this the place for you. And you dog!!!
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Terence A. 2 years ago on Google
    Fantastic views and somewhere you can get lost in thought and appreciate together with wildlife all around
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 David A. 1 year ago on Google
    Beautiful Nature reserve leading to the beach. Ideal for walking / running / dog walking and more. Spotlessly clean. Ample parking with clean toilets 🚻
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Alex H. 2 years ago on Google
    Beautiful walk to the beach, killer on your legs on the way back. But lovely peaceful place. People need to remember to take their rubbish home with them. Enjoy these places don’t ruin them!
    1 person found this review helpful πŸ‘

  • 5/5 Kirsty J. 6 months ago on Google β€’ 46 reviews
    Wonderful time at the Sand dunes. For a boiling, hot, sunny day, it was a surprise to find the area so quiet as it was the last day before the children returned to school after the summer holidays. We sat at the top of one of the sand hills, under a tree for shade. The children loved running down and rolling! It was peaceful, quiet and surrounded by nature. Butterflies were in abundance, caterpillars and the crickets were jumping on and off our legs! Spent a few hours just chilling and it was lovely

  • 5/5 AL N. 1 year ago on Google
    A beautiful location. I went to find and photograph adders, however I was unsuccessful in my quest, still had a nice morning relaxing in the sun. The car park is monitored by an ANPR system so you just pay your appropriate fee before you leave. Its Β£5 for the whole day so quite good value, otherwise its Β£2.50 for two hours. Enjoy.

  • 5/5 Jemima R. 1 year ago on Google
    We had a lovely afternoon walk into Merthyr Mawr .. πŸŒ…πŸŒž beautiful and amazing sand around the jungle πŸ˜…πŸ˜Š

  • 4/5 Agnieszka K. 9 months ago on Google β€’ 27 reviews
    Very nice place, the dunes are impressive. There's a half an hour walk from the car park to the beach, but also plenty of other paths for walkers. Beach is not crowded, but unfortunately tourists, mainly young people, leave all the waste on the beach. It was not pleasant to walk through all that rubbish.

  • 5/5 Ray O. 1 year ago on Google
    Β£5 to park all day, great for walking and getting away from the crowds. Walks are not for the feint hearted, quite an effort to get to the sea and takes about 30 mins.

  • 5/5 Laura c. 11 months ago on Google
    We took sledges with us and it was brilliant. Such fun and the sand is lovely Parking is Β£1 for the first hour, Β£2 for 2 hours and Β£5 for 24 hours.

  • 5/5 Muddyboy C. 10 months ago on Google
    Great place to visit with an amazing beach. It's not the easiest to get to, but the lack of people on the glorious beach is a bonus. The car park is Β£5 for 24 hrs and has a snack van and toilets.

  • 5/5 Rebecca A. 9 months ago on Google
    Great place to take the dog, enough space and routes, even for reactive dogs to be able to keep a distance fro others. So great for training, too.

  • 5/5 Lawrance J. 2 years ago on Google
    From the car it's a pleasant 30 minutes walk to the Beach, but well worth walk with stunning scenery & a beautiful Beach

  • 5/5 Maria R. 2 years ago on Google
    Wow, what a place. The dunes were just amazing. Car park very good value

  • 3/5 Silke S. 2 years ago on Google
    Lovely scenery and very peaceful, but zero guidance through the reserve (no sign-posted trails). Visitors are left to their own devices and we ended up wandering rather aimlessly through the dunes until we finally managed to get to the sea. This could be done much better!

  • 5/5 Beverley J. 2 years ago on Google
    Beautiful place to visit. Lovely walk through dunes to get onto the beach which is never to busy, just sit and enjoy, or go for a swim.


Call +44 1656 662413 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Pets
    • βœ“οΈ Dogs allowed
  • Activities
    • βœ“οΈ Hiking
  • Accessibility
    • βœ— Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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