20th October 2017 Daily Blog from Porthcawl - Day 1

A rocky coastline with a rugged hinterland.

After the success of blogging on location from our little get away to Cornwall last year we thought we should do the same again this year. We’ve taken a few days staying in an AirBnB in Porthcawl South Wales. We’ve wanted to go to Swansea for some time but looking on AirBnB website we discovered it was half the price in Porthcawl and as most our time will be spent walking the surrounding area it made sense. We are proper AirBnB virgins but we would like to start our own AirBnB so we thought it made sense to stay in one first before just letting out our own. As this is ‘live’ blogging each day we can let you know how things are progressing.

The weather was initially 'bracing' to put it kindly.

We only live about 90 minutes away but it’s a bit too far to come for a day so it made sense to stay. We set off around 1100 and didn’t really hit too much in the way of traffic. Top tip for supplies, there is only a small Co-Op in Porthcawl so stop in Bridgend on your way in if you’re coming from the east, which 98.372% of you will be. There is a Lidl, a Tesco and a Pets At Home all right next to each other. Saves lugging lots of food from home.

The sea wall with a brooding sky behind it.

The place we’re staying in is great. Really nicely done and cosy. I’ll do a full review at the end of the week. I was warned by someone who lives nearby that Porthcawl is a dump but I think it’s actually quite charming. It is slightly run down in places, especially by the amusements but we came here to be outside, not playing 2p slot machines. The beaches are dog friendly at this time of year, October – April, so Chuck has been in the sea already.

This is just as the tide was beginning to turn.

There’s a great new bar and restaurant building by the sea wall, next to the lifeboat station. It’s quite posh but didn’t seem ridiculously expensive. I paid £7 for a double Jura and a soda water. The tide was coming in and the waves really start to crash against the rocks when it does. It has been a bracing day but I love that. The beaches are rocky and the hinterland is wild and moor like. We walked all the way out up to the Royal Porthcawl golf club with a not so fetching view of Port Talbot steel works. But it was far away enough not to spoil the view. Devon and Somerset could made out across the Severn and The Mumbles bay next to Swansea was also visible.

The restaurant and bar next to the lifeboat station.

Porthcawl is so far proving to be a wonderful little place to come and stay. The weather for the next few days looks pretty terrible to be honest but we’ll do our best to make some mini adventures for you to enjoy reading about. Hopefully we can inspire you to make your own little weekend getaway. It only requires two days off work and is far better than a week in Los Del Thompson Package Holiday. So have a look along the coast for somewhere off the beaten path to stay and get booking. We’ll be back tomorrow, as long as we don’t get washed away.

The far end of Porthcawl. The dog walking area is just around the corner.