Porthcawl has three main beaches and they could not be more different.
Rest Bay, at the north end, is the surfer's beach — west-facing, Blue Flag, with reliable Atlantic swell at the rocky points. Sandy Bay is the family beach in the centre of town, gently shelving and right next to the funfair. Trecco Bay to the east is the longest of the three, backed by the giant caravan park and merging at low tide with Newton Beach.
For a quieter walk, follow the cliff path north from Rest Bay toward Sker Point and Kenfig dunes — within twenty minutes you can be on a beach with no one on it.