BEACH THAT SWALLOWS CARS

Sharp rise in strandings on sands that prove to be graveyard for motors

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor [e-mail]

One of the year's first victims was a new Mercedes hire coupe. It was left stranded in soft sand at low tide, and gently bobbing up and down when the tide was in. By the time it was recovered, it had spent two nights at sea (Image: Jane Grant)

(Jane Grant)

IN a typical summer, around six to 10 vehicles come to grief on a Gwynedd beach renowned for swallowing cars. This year, the average took a dramatic turn for the worse at Traeth y Graig Ddu (Black Rock Sands).

By one estimate, 30 cars and motorhomes were hauled from the popular beach in 2025. Many met a sticky end, marooned in soft sand or left bobbing on the sea as the tide rushed in.

The beach, near Porthmadog, stretches for three miles. It is famous for its hard-packed sand that enables cars to easily drive onto it. The beach appeals to families as it shelves gently out to sea, appealing to both swimmers and paddlers. At its western end, caves and rock pools are revealed at low tide.

But some visitors can be a little blase about the incoming tide and, Icarus-like, they park too far down the beach. Too late they realise the sea is not to be toyed with.

Thanks to the efforts of a local farmer, some vehicles were this year saved in the nick of time before becoming insurance write-offs. Good weather means it's been a hectic season for beach guardian Dafydd Davies, who trundles his John Deere tractor to Morfa Bychan whenever wardens, Coastguards and roadside assistance companies raise the alarm.

"This year there have been more rescues than the last two years combined," sighed the 68-year-old. "When I speak to the drivers, they usually say they just got too excited and hadn't realised how quickly the tide comes in.