Even in the colder months, there’s nothing like a walk on the beach to blow away the cobwebs. In Bristol, we are lucky enough to have lots of amazing open spaces, with plenty of parks and the stunning harbourside.
However, there is one glaring omission from Bristol’s landscape when the sun’s out, though: a beach. It would be so nice to be able to bathe in the sun on golden sands, but unfortunately that’s not possible without leaving the city.
Of course, there are the ones we all know about, the likes of Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Burnham-on-Sea. However, there’s also a number of hidden beaches you probably weren’t aware of which are well worth the trip from Bristol.
One of the ones most worthy of a visit is the wide bay of St Audries, located at the foot of The Quantocks. The stunning spot is just over an hour’s drive from Bristol down the M5.
A mix of flat pebbles, sand, shingle and rock makes it arguably one of the best beaches in Somerset, and it’s also popular with fossil hunters. But the nicest feature of St Audries Bay is that it boasts two beautiful waterfalls which cascade down the cliffs along the back of the beach.
The sea might not boast a tropical bluey green hue to it as the waters of the Bristol Channel are distinctly murky, but despite that we still think it’s worth visiting for a day for the waterfalls alone.
The waterfall has had 200 reviews on Google so far, with an average rating of 4.7. One reviewer said: “Superb place can go for a walk through the seashore.
“Very slippery path to the sea from parking – have to be careful.”
And another one said: “Very nice walk from car park to the beach. Beautiful view, steap and high cliffs. Definitely worth it.”
There are plenty of beaches that are worth the trip near Bristol and we have compiled them all here. They include Ogmore, a gorgeous sand and pebble beach in the Vale of Glamorgan, and Southerdown, also in the Vale of Glamorgan, among others.
Kilve Beach – about halfway between Minehead and Bridgwater in the heart of the Quantocks – is also worth a visit, as is Rest Bay in Porthcawl, South Wales.
This article was first published in April 2018 and was republished in March 2025.