Charming town is ‘best-kept seaside secret’ in Wales with colourful cottages and sweeping views

New Quay in Ceredigion has been dubbed Britain’s prettiest coastal town, but it has also been named the most isolated town in England and Wales, with the nearest supermarket a 20-mile journey away

A small Welsh seaside town of New Quay in Ceredigion has earned a glowing reputation as one of Britain’s prettiest.

Regularly praised for its unspoilt coastline and charming harbour, New Quay is a place full of surprises. It has dolphins, harbour porpoises, a hillside of colourful, chocolate-box style homes, and a connection to Wales’ most famous poet.

It is all of these qualities that make it a fantastic place to visit, and why Hazel Rickett, a travel expert at small-group tour operator Rabbie’s, has selected New Quay as one of seven destinations that are perfect for a late summer long weekend.

“Tucked away on the Ceredigion coast, New Quay is one of Wales’ best-kept seaside secrets. Colourful cottages, a picturesque harbour and sweeping views across Cardigan Bay make it an ideal destination for a peaceful coastal escape,” Hazel said.

“Visitors can stroll along the waterfront, enjoy fresh seafood and, if they’re lucky, spot the resident bottlenose dolphins. Its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful coastline make it the perfect destination for a laid-back short break.”

New Quay sits on Cardigan Bay, which holds one of Europe’s largest resident populations of bottlenose dolphins. They’re regularly spotted right from the harbour wall or headland in summer, no boat required. If you want a closer look, boat trip operators like SeaMor Dolphin Watching run out of the harbour.

Grey seals, harbour porpoises, seabirds, and rare chough are all found along the coast, and the free Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre on the seafront covers all of it.

The town’s most famous son is Dylan Thomas, who lived in New Quay with his wife Caitlin for about six months in 1944/45. It was one of the most productive periods of his career, and the town is widely accepted as the model for the fictional village of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood. There’s a Dylan Thomas Trail you can follow, a plaque at The Black Bull pub marking where he got the idea for an early piece that became Under Milk Wood, and the site of Majoda, the “wood and asbestos pagoda” bungalow where he wrote.

It’s easy to see why the place proved such an inspiration to Thomas, given its clear beauty. Brightly painted houses tumble down a steep hill to the working harbour and Harbour Beach, which won a Seaside Award in 2026 for cleanliness. It marks the halfway point of the Wales Coast Path, so it’s a natural stopping point for walkers.

Intriguingly, New Quay has also been named as one of the most isolated in the UK. While New Quay’s 1,045 residents are well served by tourist-facing independent shops and cafes, the town has no major supermarket. Despite a Costcutter and a Morrisons nearby, the nearest large superstore — a Tesco or Aldi in Cardigan — requires a 20-mile round trip. The nearest railway station, in Aberystwyth, is a 40-minute drive away.

New Quay was once a thriving fishing village built on the herring trade, though the industry has long since declined. Today, the handful of remaining fishermen make their living from lobster and prawn catches.