This Summer in Rhyl
Good things need protecting. Rhyl has been a famous seaside resort since Victorian times. It still attracts many thousands of visitors every year to its magnificent beaches and vibrant attractions.But climate change and ageing sea defences have made it vulnerable to flooding. Now an ambitious multi-million-pound coastal flood defence scheme is underway. It will improve sea views, make it easier to reach those golden sands and make Rhyl’s splendid promenade more dramatic than ever. Find out more about the coastal defence work here.
There’s still plenty to do and see in Rhyl this summer. With seven miles of sand stretching all the way from Rhyl to its sister resort of Prestatyn – and Rhyl has four beaches all of its own. The beach is a fantastic place to go but always remember to follow the RNLI’s five top tips to keep you and your family safe.
Rhyl West
Stretches from Rhyl Harbour to the Children’s Village. With fast-flowing currents and vessels navigating in and out, this is not the place to swim. But it’s ideal for a day making sandcastles, paddling and basking in the sunshine (with plenty of sun cream).
Access: opposite Palace Avenue or just west of Butterton Road.
Nearest car park: Sky Tower LL18 1HF.
Nearest public toilet: Children’s Village LL18 1HL.
Rhyl Central
Opposite the top of the High Street, this is Rhyl’s busiest beach where we encourage bathing – but stick to the zone between the red and yellow flags.
During the summer season lifeguards are on hand to keep everyone safe and offer free sessions of beach volleyball and beach football:
27 May-4 June
7 days a week
10am-6pm
10-25 June
Weekends only
10am-6pm
1 July-3 September
7 days a week
10am-6pm
Check out the beach lifeguards’ web pages for more information.
Access: at Rhyl Events Arena.
Nearest car park: Central LL18 1HD.
Nearest public toilet: Children’s Village LL18 1 HL or Events Arena LL18 3AF.
Rhyl East
This beach between the lifeboat station and Old Golf Road has its own zone for sports such as kite surfing, wind surfing and kayaking. At PKS Watersports next to the Kite Surf Café, wheelchair users can enjoy all the pleasures of the beach by hiring a sand-friendly wheelchair – brilliant for manoeuvring through the sand and stones.
Access: anywhere between the lifeboat station and the Pavilion Theatre. Wheelchair access at Pro-Kite surfing.
Nearest car park: East Parade LL18 3SG
Nearest public toilet: Events Arena LL18 3AF.
Splash Point
This is Rhyl’s most dog-friendly beach, where they can stretch their legs at any time of year. The sea walls are quite high with designated access points for the beach.
Access: 200 metres east of Old Golf Road
Nearest car park: Pavilion LL18 3AQ
Nearest public toilet: Old Golf Road LL18 3PB
Dogs on the beach
We love our canine friends and they can go anywhere on the sand between 1 October and 30 April. In the busy summer months between 1 May and 30 September, there are restrictions in place – but they’re still welcome from the Kite Surf Café all the way east to Ffrith Festival Gardens, Prestatyn.
Rhyl Attractions
Ninja TAG Active
SC2
West Parade
Rhyl
LL18 1BF
This fantastic indoor multi-level assault course is a cross between Total Wipeout and Ninja Warrior, all in one exciting experience. Test your skill, fitness and bravery as you speed through the Sea of Rope, race your friends on the Quarter Pipe and try and hit every target on the gravity defying Spider Wall. Junior Ninja TAG is the same Ninja TAG experience as the adult structure, but suitable for those from 90cm up to 1.2m tall without an adult.
01745 777562
info@sc2rhyl.co.uk
sc2rhyl.co.uk/ninja-tag
The waterpark has been closed since the New Year due to storm damage, which affected its roof. This damage was more extensive than was first thought and it is now looking likely that the waterpark will not be able to open for the remainder of the season
Vue Cinema
The Village
West Parade
Rhyl
LL18 1HB
Vue Cinema at Rhyl packs in five screens and more than 600 seats – all with Digital Dolby Surround Sound and Sony 4K picture quality.
03453084620
www.myvue.com/cinema/rhyl/whats-on
Pro Kite Surfing
East Parade
Rhyl
LL18 3AF
Pro Kitesurfing’s beachfront training centre in Rhyl is the perfect location to learn kitesurfing. It offers individual or 2-1 tuition in all aspects of kite-powered and paddle activities from basic board control, power-kite flying through to beginner kiteboarding lessons and kite tricks. Depending on wind direction lessons are at Rhyl, Porthmadog (Black Rock sands) Anglesey (Newborough beach) or West Shore (Llandudno).
01745 345004
info@prokitesurfing.co.uk
www.prokitesurfing.co.uk
Rhyl Harbour
Horton’s Nose Lane
Rhyl
LL18 5AX
Just where the River Clwyd joins the sea you’ll find Rhyl Harbour with its launching slipway, pontoons and quay walls. Inside the harbour building is a brilliant café and a bike hub where you can buy or hire cycles. The centrepiece is the spectacular Pont y Ddraig pedestrian/cycle bridge, which rises to let boats through and carries both the Wales Coast Path and National Cycle Route 5.
Rhyl Family Fun Fair
Children’s Village
West Parade
Rhyl
LL18 1HZ
No fewer than 16 different rides including dodgems and the famous Nessi roller coaster should keep the kids happy for hours.
Pavilion Theatre
East Parade
Rhyl
LL18 3AQ
The 1,000-seat Pavilion Theatre right on the waterfront at Rhyl hosts an audience-pleasing mix of concerts, comedy nights and West End shows. Upstairs is the stylishly contemporary 1891 restaurant and bar with its locally sourced food and spectacular sea views, brilliant for a pre-show meal.
01745 332414
rhylpavilion.co.uk
Just off the promenade
Rhyl Miniature Railway
Central Station
Marine Lake
Wellington Road
Rhyl
Rhyl Marine Lake is the only saltwater lake in North Wales. Visitors can walk a nature and heritage trail all the way round – or hop on a vintage steam locomotive to ride the oldest miniature railway in Britain. The railway celebrated their 100th birthday in 2011 by building a Central Station with hands-on museum where big kids of all ages can pretend to drive a train, pull signal levers and ring bells.
01352 759109
info@rhylminiaturerailway.co.uk
rhylminiaturerailway.co.uk
Marsh Tracks
Marsh Road
Rhyl LL18 2AD
Marsh Tracks is an award-winning cycling centre situated just behind Rhyl Marine Lake. It comprises a 1.3 km closed circuit road cycling track and a national standard BMX race track featuring a Bensink start gate (exactly the same as the 2012 Olympic BMX track) and challenging jumps and berms. A mountain bike track has recently been opened allowing people to test their skills.
01745 353335
www.marshtracks.co.uk
Rhyl Museum
Church Street
Rhyl LL18 3AA
Visitors can stroll down an imaginary Edwardian pier and peek into kiosks filled with weird and wonderful objects such as lifebelts, bath chairs and swimming costumes from the heyday of the resort. It’s a great place to discover more about the personalities who shaped Rhyl and Prestatyn – from Roman bathers to early cinema pioneers. Best of all, it’s completely free.
01745 353814
heritage@denbighshire.gov.uk
www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/leisure-and-tourism/museums-and-historic-houses/rhyl-museum.aspx
Walking and cycling
Rhyl promenade is a highlight on two major trails – one for cyclists and one for walkers. The detours will add a few metres to the journey but take nothing away from the experience.
Cycling & National Route 5
This 336-mile route passes through beautiful countryside and historic towns and cities on an epic journey from Reading to North Wales. It enters Rhyl at the harbour, where you can buy, repair or hire a bike at The Bike Hub. Then it crosses Pont y Ddraig bridge and heads along the promenade towards Prestatyn.
Due to the coastal defence works you’ll have to make a couple of detours, briefly joining the carriageway and avoiding the busy Children’s Village. Just follow the Route 5 signs to find your way.
Just off the promenade, behind the Marine Lake, award-winning Marsh Tracks is a purpose-built arena for cycle sport featuring a 1.3km closed circuit road cycling track, a national standard BMX track with Bensink start gate and an exhilarating mountain biking track.
Wales Coast Path
The Wales Coast Path is the world’s first footpath to follow an entire nation’s coastline – all 870 miles of it. This is the perfect way to see Denbighshire’s magnificent coast, taking in the seven miles of sand between Rhyl and Prestatyn and on to wildlife-rich Gronant Dunes.
Just for now there are two short detours from Rhyl promenade, taking you along East Parade and West Parade – all the better to see attractions such as the Ninja Tag, Children’s Village and Pavilion Theatre.
Accessible walks
It’s not all long-distance epics. There are plenty of easier access routes for people with varying levels of mobility – with walks around the Marine Lake (LL18 1AQ) and through the nature reserve at Brickfields Pond (LL18 2RN), plus an all-ability trail along the banks of the Clwyd estuary at Glan Morfa (LL18 2AD). Try Rhyl’s popular town trail, a 2.5-mile flat and circular stroll that takes in most of the town’s main sights.
Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail
At nearby Prestatyn the Wales Coast Path joins Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail to circumnavigate the whole of Wales – 1,030 miles in total. Stretching from sea to sea, Offa’s Dyke Path crosses the England-Wales border an incredible 27 times and Prestatyn is the final destination for many walkers
How to get here, where to park or find a toilet, the best places to shop – even how to book a bed for the night can be found here.