The two Welsh villages named the best places to live by the sea in the UK

Wales has got a whole host of places to settle in if you want to live by the coast, no matter what your vibe is. Prefer to be close to city life, and just a short train ride away? Penarth is the place for you. Prefer to be closer to the mountains than the hustle and bustle? You should probably move to Anglesey.

We have around 500 beaches in Wales, many at the heart of thriving communities. You can read our list of the very best beaches here.

While we are probably Welsh beaches' biggest fans at WalesOnline, we are not the only ones who have a (very) soft spot for these UK gems. The Sunday Times has selected some of the most beautiful beaches and seaside towns in their Best places to live by the sea in the UK 2024. These were the two Welsh locations:

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Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire

Saundersfoot is one of 20 coastal towns to make the Sunday Times list. Arguably an unsung hero in comparison to its next door neighbour Tenby, this serene village is the epitome of peace and quiet, especially if you're visiting in the off-peak season. It has plenty of pizazz, with stunning foodie options and lovely residents who instantly make you feel welcome. A good choice all round.

Describing Saundersfoot, the Sunday Times journalist Tim Palmer wrote: "Saundersfoot may not have the Instagrammable looks of Tenby along the coast, but on most counts it’s more than a match for its colourful Georgian neighbour. A recently completed harbour development has brought a bit of buzz to the waterfront, while Saundersfoot Beach was named one of the three most sustainable in the world in a TripAdvisor survey this year and there are two others to hang out on. The sandy beaches are the big draw for holidaymakers, but there’s enough going on year-round to make this the perfect base to explore the riches of the wild coast of west Wales. There’s a good primary school, trains to Swansea (in a leisurely 90 minutes) and a full roster of community clubs and activities. Average house price: £370,537 "

Mumbles, Swansea

Mumbles was the other Welsh village named in the list. This stylish part of the world is a dream destination for anyone to live in. It's got that village charm which makes you want to drop everything and open up a tea shop just so you can stare at it all day and embrace a quiet life by the coast. The Prince and Princess of Wales have even been known to stop by for an ice cream at Joe's - the iconic local ice cream maker.

Discussing the perks of Mumbles, Tim noted in the Sunday Times article: "For somewhere that’s essentially a suburb of Swansea, Mumbles has a frankly indecent amount to offer the most demanding thalassophile. Within a few miles of the centre of Wales’s second city, you can watch wading birds forage on the shoreline of Swansea Bay, explore the rockpools of Bracelet Bay, join the hardy year-round swimmers at Langland Bay or hop on your surfboard at Caswell Bay. An ice cream from Joe’s, Forte’s or Verdi’s is the perfect reward for a day on the beach. For those seeking even wilder landscapes Rhossili Bay, on the tip of the Gower peninsula, is 40 minutes in the opposite direction. The best addresses round here — some would say in all of Wales — are Caswell Bay and Langland, sometimes optimistically described as the country’s answer to the Hamptons. Average house price: £412,524."

Let us know where you think is Wales' best place to live by the sea in the comments below