Porthcawl is a town with many different aspects, from the holiday park and funfair to the historic harbour and surrounding buildings. The harbour wall has protected the marina behind which saw its heyday in the 19th century with the export of coal but was then surpassed by the ports of Cardiff and Barry. Today the wall provides a spectacle which draws hundreds of people out in the worst kind of weather to watch the awesome power of nature, a sight to which no photo can really do justice and has to be seen in person.