Hell's Mouth – Porth Neigwl

Abersoch · Wales · United Kingdom

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Hell's Mouth – Porth Neigwl (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/hells-mouth-porth-neigwl.

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Hell's Mouth, Porth Neigwl in Welsh, is a 5 km sandy bay on the south side of the Llŷn peninsula, facing south-west. No spot in North Wales is more consistent: any swell that comes through the gap between south Wales and Ireland reaches it. Good surfers go to the corner at one end, where waves bend off the cliffs into hollow wedges. At the other end, a smaller wave called Fisherman's works on big, windy days.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or fish; a foam board for learners on smaller days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m south-west swell with a north-easterly wind; it works at all tides.

When it doesn't

✕ South-westerly winds blow straight in, and swells from the west or north are blocked by Ireland and Pembrokeshire.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • rocks

Best months

September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April

Local tips

Shifting sandbars and strong rips make it a beach for intermediates and better. The roads in are narrow and winding. The surf shop in Abersoch runs a surf school here from May to November.

Getting there

From Abersoch, take the narrow lanes towards Llanengan and the beach car park at the east end of the bay.

Travel notes

How often it works
Quite reliable but only from a narrow south-west swell window. Summer is often flat.
Crowd and vibe
Often crowded on good weekends, with surfers from North Wales and north-west England; quieter in midweek.
Camping and vans
Several farm sites are near the bay: Green Pastures about 3 km, Tyn-y-Mur and Treheli Farm about 3.5 km. Nearest campsite about 3 km away.
Facilities
Car park at the beach. Shops, cafés and the surf shop in Abersoch.
Water quality
Porth Neigwl is rated excellent in the 2025 Welsh classification.

Ideal conditions

Swell
SSW–WSW best, S–WSW works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 3 m
Period
8 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore N–ENE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
SW (215°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Wales · All spots

Sources