Paws in the sand
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One of my favourite places to visit is the beach, and at the top of my list of beaches to visit is Ynyslas. Ynyslas is part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve, located on the south side of the Dyfi estuary in Ceredigion on the west coast of Wales.
There are a couple of options for parking at Ynyslas, with the main parking area located right on the beach, by the visitor’s centre at a charge of £3 per day.
Due to its beach side location, at very high tides the car park will flood, so be sure to know the high tide time before heading off and remember to keep your eyes on the time so you don’t get back to a flooded car. There is a handy sign at the entrance to the beach which will let you know if the parking area will flood on that day.
I have planned our trip to that we arrive just before low tide, which will give me more than enough time to explore the dunes and beach, as well as take all my photos.
After parking up, I headed up to the visitor’s centre to pay for our parking for the day, this is also where the public toilets are located and are open between 9am and 4:30 pm each day.
One of my favourite things about Ynyslas is that it is a year around dog friendly beach, unlike a lot of UK beaches at are dog tolerant between October 1st and April 31st, you can even bring your horse here and ride along the beach. There are certain locations and times when your dog will need to be on a lead, for example walks through grazing enclosures and roped off areas due to ground nesting birds.
There are 2 main walks at Ynyslas, the Ynyslas walk which is a 2 ½ mile or 4km circular route, and the Dune Walk which we are going to be taking. The Dune walk is a 1 ¼ mile or 2km walk through the sand dunes, before heading onto the beach itself.
The walk starts right next to the visitor’s centre and is a mix of unsurfaced pathway/sand and boardwalk with steps as you get into the dunes. There are some wonderful views over the beach and surrounding area from the very top, as well as benches to sit and watch the wildlife along the way.
One thing to note, is that the dog poop bin behind the visitor’s centre, next to the start of the dune walk, is the only one on site (at least that I could find). I ended up stashing a poop next to one of the big signs whilst we were on the beach and picked it up and dropped it off on our way back to the car.
Ynyslas, is a red flag beach meaning that you are not allowed to swim in the water here due to the incredibly strong currents, something to keep in mind when your pooch is out enjoying the waves.
Once on the beach, the fun can really begin. As this beach is so large, especially at low tide, there is plenty of space for you doggo to run around and not be disturbed. We headed out, tennis ball in hand to get some images of Skylar being Skylar and enjoying her time on the beach.
For the majority of our time on the beach, I photographed Skylar with my 70-200 f2.8 GM ii lens from Sony, each brand will have their own version and is my main lens for capturing action as well as portrait shots of Skylar.
After about 45 minuets of playing on the beach, we headed back into the dunes to the car.
All in all, we had an amazing time at Ynyslas, and I highly recommend a visit with your doggo at any time of year. Just remember to check the tide times before leaving to ensure you get the most out of your day.
Essential beach selfy! (not that Skylar was interested in this part of our day 😂)