Rest Bay is a golden, sandy beach on the outskirts of the town of Porthcawl, backed by The Royal Porthcawl Golf Club and low cliffs.
The beach faces south-west, which means that it is not sheltered from the Atlantic winds and the waves here can be quite large, making it a good beach for surfing, as well as wind/kite surfing. When the waves are not too big, fishing, bathing and canoeing are popular pastimes here.
There is zoning for water sports and the beach is cleaned daily during the summer months.
Rest Bay is home to a fair few rock pools beach in which a variety of marine life can be found.
There is a large car park set about 100 meters back from the beach, but there are disabled spaces closer by, next to the lifeguard station which is adjacent to the beach. The beach is then reached down a ramp or a gentle flight of stairs.
Rest Bay has a café, but for more facilities, the town centre of Porthcawl is about a mile away. The town can be reached along a cycle track. Porthcawl has a promenade which offers excellent views out to sea and is lined with many restaurants, cafes, shops and hotels.