In 1942 the 49th Reconnaissance Regiment was formed in Porthcawl and stationed in the town before heading for France and spearheading the 49th Division as part of the liberation of Europe. Adjacent to Porthcawl are two older settlements, the village of Nottage and Newton, with the expansion of Porthcawl, these have now become absorbed into the town. Newton has a 12th century Norman church. To the northern end of Porthcawl is Kenfig National Nature Reserve, which is one of the most important sites in Britain for nature conservation. It is now a site of special scientific interest; it has many thousands of species of animal and plant life, including the rare Fen Orchid.

Moving southward, there is Sker Beach, Pink Bay & Rest Bay, all of whish has sandy beaches; Rest Bay has a blue flag. Adjacent to Rest Bay is Locks Common which stretches as far as the outskirts of the town. The foreshore between Locks Common and the harbour is a mixture of rocky landscape and sandy beaches; Coney Beach, Sandy Bay & Trecco Bay. Coney Beach and Trecco Bay also have blue flags. Next to Trecco Bay, which has a large holiday village, is Newton Bay, which leads to the Glamorgan Heritage coast, which is also to become a site of special scientific interest. On the same side of the river Ogmore are Merthyr Mawr sand dunes, which are said to be the largest in Europe.