Pembrokeshire’s Barafundle Bay has been named as the cleanest beach in the UK.

An article in the Daily Express describes the beach, which is only accessible via the coast path from Stackpole Quay, as ‘a jewel in the crown of the coast - often likened to the Caribbean’.

Up the steps from Barafundle Bay.
Up the steps from Barafundle Bay. Photo: Carol Hughes (Picture This: Tenby Observer photography club) (Carol Hughes)

The ‘cleanest beach in the UK’ title comes from analysis by Litterbins.co.uk. The beach has the highest Google star rating of 4.9/5, a cleanliness score  of 78/100, average bacteria rating of 10 cfu/100ml and an impressive 86 percentage of excellent reviews on TripAdvisor.

Visit Pembrokeshire calls Barafundle ‘pristine’ and explains that, since the beach has no facilities, everything taken to the beach has to come back over the cliffs.

Archway to Barafundle beach
On the way to Barafundle Bay. Photo: Elizabeth Fitzpatrick (Picture This: Tenby Observer photography club) (Elizabeth Fitzpatrick )

Backed with dunes in a woodland setting, the sandy bay is part of the Stackpole Estate, managed by the National Trust. The nearest car park is a half-mile walk away.

One reviewer on TripAdvisor compared the beach to “what you would find in Barbados.” 

Barafundle has a Green Coast Award on account of its excellent water quality and the efforts made to preserve its natural environment, and has been voted many times as one of Britain’s best beaches.

View over Barafundle in Pembrokeshire.
View over Barafundle in Pembrokeshire. Photo: Elizabeth Thomas (Picture This: Tenby Observer photography club) (Elizabeth Thomas)