Minehead has a wide sandy beach about a mile long, which is backed by a sea wall and promenade. Access to the beach is down short ramps or steps. At the western end is the harbour, whilst to the east the sand continues most of the way to Dunster. A dog ban is in force on the whole of the beach from May 1st to September 30th. Dogs can be taken on the shore to the east beyond where the sea wall ends (bottom picture below), or to the west of the harbour. Swimming is best at high tide, but there are no lifeguards here.
There is plenty of P&D parking along the seafront, and Minehead's main tree-lined shopping street has numerous cafes, bars and restaurants as well as banks, supermarkets and clothing retailers. The West Somerset Railway's station is just across the road from the beach, and steam trains run to Bishops Lydeard, which has bus links to Taunton station. Other facilities include toilets, plenty of hotels, B&B's and a Tourist Information Centre (opposite the station).
