Things To Do In New Quay Wales
New Quay Wales is a beautiful little village in the Cardigan Bay area of Wales. Not to be confused with Newquay in Cornwall, this thriving village boasts not one, but three popular beaches plus some incredible marine wildlife. In this post, we’ll go over the best things to do in New Quay Wales and inspire you to plan your own trip to this Welsh gem.
Things to do in New Quay Wales
Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre
Have a beach day
Go on a Dolphin spotting cruise
Take a walk along the Coastal Path
Indulge in some delicious food
Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre
Originally established in 1996 as a non-profit organisation, the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre is dedicated to marine research, conservation & awareness of the incredible wildlife in Cardigan Bay. In the visitor centre you will see exhibits telling you all about the local inhabitants of the sea plus the volunteers will be there to answer questions. Cardigan Bay is famous for being the home to bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoise and Atlantic grey seals so if you’re lucky, you might spot one on your visit to this coastline.
The visitor centre is open from April to November and is free to enter. It is run by volunteers and the centre does rely on donations and profits from the onsite gift shop to stay open.
There is no car park at Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre but there are several public car parks in New Quay. These are signposted from the roads leading into town and they cost approximately £4 a day.
Have a beach day
As mentioned at the start of this post, New Quay is home to three popular beaches, all different in their character, so you are not short of choice. The main, and most popular one, is Harbour Beach. Nestled below the pretty houses of the village and sheltered by the harbour wall, Harbour Beach is an official Blue Flag beach. It boasts an allocated safe swimming area, clean and clear water plus soft sand, making for a pleasurable place to take a stroll.
Harbour Beach is where the Cardigan Bay Watersports Centre do their activities plus its where the annual New Quay Regatta and New Year’s Day swim take place.
The other side of the harbour wall is the slightly more rugged Dolau beach. It’s a smaller beach, with rocks and coarser sand but dogs are welcome here all year round.
Finally, there is New Quay's other beach - Traeth Gwyn, or Llanina beach. This is described as being much wilder but it is popular with dog walkers. This beach sits the other side of Harbour Beach, divided by a stream full of boulders and carries on all the way to Llanina Point. When the tide is low, it is a very wide, sandy beach, with boulders and shingle along the back but, be aware, it is cut off at high water!
Go on a Dolphin spotting cruise
New Quay is home to some incredible marine wildlife, including Bottlenose Dolphins, and you can take a boat trip around the bay to do some dolphin spotting. The approved local tour operators will take you out in to Cardigan Bay for a chance to spot these beautiful creatures frolicking in the water, jumping as high as 4 metres above the water.
Dolphin Survey Boat Trips and Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips are recommended tour operators whose skippers are WISe certified, meaning they follow the Marine Code of Conduct. You can be assured through these, no harm or annoyance is being done to the wildlife. In fact, both operators collect vital information and data for the Sea Watch Foundation. Another local operator, SeaMôr, also runs trips from New Quay while obtaining dolphin data for the Sea Watch Foundation, listening to the dolphins and porpoises through an onboard hydrophone.
Take a walk along the Coastal Path
New Quay is located mid-way along the Wales Coastal path so its a great opportunity to get your walking boots on and get some fresh, sea air. You can walk north to Aberaeron or south to Cwmtydu and Llangrannog. There is also a wonderful 3 mile walk you can do that starts and ends in New Quay Harbour.
For a truly immersive experience, download the Wales Coastal Path app to your mobile phone and experience the area in Augmented Reality, seeing where smugglers went about their lives in secret! On this walk you’ll also see the official half way point of the Wales Coast Path, marked by a beautiful maiden sculpture, plus the RNLI lifeboat station. You might even see some bottlenose dolphins.
Indulge in some delicious seafood
As is natural with a seaside village, there is no shortage of amazing seafood restaurants to eat in, with most having a mouthwatering selection of catch-to-plate offerings. It’s not just about the food though, its about the whole experience; eating your delicious food, within a warm and vibrant atmosphere, looking out over the bay as the sun sets. It’s as idyllic as it sounds.
New Quay is also home to some of the best fish & chips, so make sure to visit well known establishments like ‘The Captains Rendezvous’ for a true taste of New Quay.
New Quay truly is the jewel in Cardigan Bay. If you have visited New Quay recently, let us know what you thought of this stunning place and feel free to share any suggestions in the comments below.
As always, sharing is caring so make sure to share this guide with your family and friends and inspire them to head off on their own Welsh adventure.
